WinterFest About To Begin

It's time to celebrate winter on the waterfront as the first ever WinterFest is being put on by the city at Prince Arthur's Landing on Family Day.   Organizer Sophie Best says the highlight of the day will be the snow sculptures that  will be worked on this weekend. There will also be all kinds of outdoor snow activities including a toboggan hill, curling and pond hockey along with the skating rink.  Activities begin at 1 o'clock Monday afternoon and ends with a fireworks display at 8 pm.

No Stand Alone Building For Cyclotron

Hospital officials are saying they are saving over 1 million dollars by housing a new piece of medical equipment in the building next to the Health Sciences Centre which is currently under construction.   They say the savings come from not building a new stand alone building for the new cyclotron which is expected to be ready to make isotopes by the spring of next year.  

Angelman Syndrome Awareness Day

It's a condition that is so rare that only three children have it in Thunder Bay. It's called Angelman Sydrome and Leia Portfors is one of the Mothers of a child who has the neuro-genetic disorder which affects both sexes. Today marks the first annual International Angelman Awareness Day. 

Woman's Death Ruled Not Criminal

The Death of a 23 year old Kasabonika Lake First Nation woman is not the result of any criminal offence. That's the conclusion of an O.P.P. investigation after Nishnawbe-Aski Police asked the O.P.P. to step in and assist. Lena Anderson died while in police custody on February 1st of this year. Meanwhile the Regional Coroner's Office says an inquest will be conducted to review the circumstances surrounding the incident. 

City Man Wins Big At Grand Portage

One Thunder Bay man is celebrating a huge winfall. A long-time patron of Grand Portage Lodge and Casino won a whopping 330-thousand dollars U.S. on a progressive slot machine on Tuesday. It's believed to be the second largest payout in the casino's history and the man, who wanted to remain anonymous, said "It's going to make life a whole lot easier."

Bordercats Announce Five Players

The Thunder Bay Bordercats are announcing their first five players committed for the upcoming season. Outfielders Cory Kay and Tyler Duplantis are coming back for another year. The team also signed shortstop Joey Hawkins, third baseman Jason Vosler and pitcher Jordan Church. The team will play their home opener on June 1st.

Thunderwolves Hockey Team Faces Elimination Tonight

The Lakehead University Thunderwolves hockey team are facing elimination Friday night in game two of their series against Waterloo. The team fell 7-2 in the opener of their O.U.A. quarter-final on the road and will now need a pair of wins at home in front of the Gardens faithful. Interim Coach Mike Busniuk says everything that could've gone wrong for the Thunderwolves did in game one and they'll have to re-focus quickly in order to stay in the playoffs.

L.U. Volleyball Team Heads Into Playoffs

It's a one game elimination playoff and anything can happen. The Lakehead University women's volleyball team are back in the post-season for the first time in seven years and travel to York for a game on Saturday night at 6:00 o'clock. The 9-9 Thunderwolves are the underdogs playing the 17-1 Lions but did win 6 of their last 8 games and are coming off an upset of the #4 ranked team in the country, Ottawa, last weekend.

L.U. Wrestlers Head For Provincials

The O.U.A. wrestling championships begin tomorrow in St. Catherines. Lakehead University Head Coach Brock Curtis says the women will be in the running for a provincial title with their toughest competition coming from Western and hosts Brock University. Weigh-ins are today and Curtis says the men's team will try and qualify at least five wrestlers to move on to the national championships from this weekend.

Extra Detox Beds Finally Coming

It's a move that is expected to ease the pressure on the hospital's emergency room and on city police.  Approval has been given to a nearly 1 million dollar expansion of the Sibley Drive detox facility.  Regional health official Laura Kokocinski says the facility will be expanded from 7 to 22 beds.  The two year project will be evaluated every 6 months.

Wilson Resigns As Chamber Prez

The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce is heading in a new direction now that President Harold Wilson has resigned.   Wilson says in his 3 and a half years in the position his proudest achievement is increasing chamber membership to where is now is close to 11 hundred.  Wilson says he is exploring his options for the future and has some irons in the fire.

Thunder Bay Connects To "My Kind Of Town"

As of today, United Airlines is officially operating out of the Thunder Bay International Airport. Their first flight is scheduled to arrive this evening which will be followed by an official ceremony marking the occasion.   It will then turn around and head back to the the Windy City at 6 in the morning. Airport Manager Scott McFadden thinks it will be good for local businesses hoping to expand their markets.

United Way Wants Your Pennies

The United Way is running it's final penny collection promotion. Campaign Chair Walter Flasza  says the umbrella charity group is hoping to collect as many of the coins as possible now that the government has stopped circulating them.  The promotion usually nets the United Way about 20 thousand dollars.

Conservatory To Open Friday

The city's botanical conservatory is going to re-open tomorrow.  It will be open daily from 1 until 4.   It was temporarily closed last year after a report raised safety concerns about falling glass.   City lawmakers then approved money for netting to provide a temporary fix to the problem. 

Baseball Pitches Community Funds

Three baseball related organizations are sharing in 5 thousand dollars from the local Baseball association.  President Larry Hebert says 2 thousand dollars will go towards Lakehead University. Hebert says they're also donating money to the District 3 Little League, and the Umpire's Association.

Rollover Results In Charge

A 22 year old man is recovering from minor injuries but the hurt might come in court.  City Police, Fire and EMS were called to Arundel Street near Lyon Boulevard just after 5:00 o'clock yesterday after a vehicle had rolled over.  The driver had to be extricated using the jaws of life.  He was treated and released from hospital but has been charged with impaired driving and will appear in court in March.

Big Lottery Win For Local Woman

Thunder Bay resident Zoovart Wakewich is the city's most recent lottery winner. The 81 year old retiree won 100 thousand dollars in an instant scratch game. She plans to use the winnings to redo the shingles on her roof, buy a new vehicle and to help out her grandkids. The winning ticket was purchased at the OLG Casino on Cumberland Street.

Suspended Driver Caught Speeding

A Toronto man faces charges of speeding and driving with a suspended licence. O.P.P. in Upsala clocked the man driving 45 kilometres an hour over the posted speed limit and will now appear in court on February 27th.

Police Pull Old Vehicles Off The Road

Thunder Bay Police are keeping their eyes peeled for old vehicles that are driving past their prime on area roads.  A commercial vehicle round up was held yesterday at the Transit yard on Fort William Road, and officers were looking for vehicles that were either in obvious disrepair or didn't meet equipment standards.  Police pulled 8 vehicles out of service and laid 12 charges.

Thunderwolves Now Face Elimination

The Lakehead University men's hockey team will have their backs against the wall when they take to the ice in game two of their O.U.A. West Quarter-final playoff series with Waterloo. The Warriors scored 5 times in the second period and posted a 7-2 win over the Thunderwolves in game one and now lead the best-of-three series 1-0 with game two tomorrow night at the Gardens.