Rafferty introduces FASD bill

MP John Rafferty has introduced his second Private Members' Bill on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.  The Thunder Bay Rainy River MP is calling on the Federal Government to develop a national strategy on the issue.  The bill, C-569 will not be debated before the next election.

NAPS seizes more Oxy

Nishnawbe-Aski Police continue to intercept illegal shipments of OxyContin. They say recent seizures took place in 3 northern First Nations communities. They confiscated over 46 thousand dollars worth of the highly addictive opiate. In total, 3 people are facing charges.

Kaszicky named Ring of Fire Coordinator

The new Ring of Fire Coordinator feels she has a good working relationship with area first nations.  Dr. Christine Kaszicky was the assistant deputy minister of Northern Development and Mines; during the time members of KI First Nation were sent to jail over a mining dispute.  Kaszicky says she's learned from that incident.  Kaszicky starts her new job on October 25th and will spend her time between Toronto and the North.  An office with a director and some staff will be set up in Thunder Bay.

McGuinty says Far North Act a good balance

Premier Dalton McGuinty is defending his government's Far North Act. Numerous groups including business and First Nations organizations are condemning it. However McGuinty believes there will be ways to work around any concerns. McGuinty says the act is the way to balance development and conservation in the north.

McGuinty defends choice of co-ordinator

Premier McGuinty's choice for Ring of Fire co-ordinator is getting some heat. There is concern that as Assistant Deputy Minister at the Mines Ministry, Christine Kaszycki, was there when KI First Nations protesters were jailed. McGuinty calls it a learning experience for her. McGuinty says Kaszycki has the qualifications for the position.

Premier speaks at NOMA Conference

Premier Dalton McGuinty spent his time in Thunder Bay promoting the Ring of Fire. McGuinty says there's great potential in the region's far north. The Premier also announced that Dr. Christine Kaszycki is the new Coordinator for the chromite deposit initiative. Meanwhile, Progressive Conservative Critic Randy Hillier is surprised by the appointment saying he thought they were going to hire someone from the outside and fresh. Hillier is critical of the fact that Kaszycki was an Assistant Deputy Minister in the Ministery of Northern Development and Mines.

Accused killers make second court appearance

Two teenage girls charged with second degree murder are due back in court in one month. It's in connection with the city's 4th homicide of the year, the beating death of a 16 year old girl from Sachigo Lake. Her body was found in a wooded area behind Wentworth Crescent on September 24th..   The accused 14 and 15 year olds, made a brief appearance in Youth Court in Thunder Bay Thursday. Their case was put over until October 28th.

Northern communities need to rethink economic development

Northwestern Ontario communities need to rethink the way they carry out economic development.  Brock Dickinson is an economic development consultant and spoke at the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association Conference.  Dickinson says Northern communities need to revamp their economic development skills since most of their tools and programs are decades old. The fall NOMA conference wraps up Friday afternoon.

NOMA fall conference underway

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association's fall conference is underway in Thunder Bay.  Premier Dalton McGuinty will be speaking to the crowd in a few hours.  NOMA President Anne Krassilowski says they've asked McGuinty to attend their meetings two times in the last four terms of government.  Krassilowski adds his visit today is a sign of his committment to hearing their concerns.  McGuinty will be the lunch hour speaker at the NOMA conference today, he'll also be speaking to residents this afternoon applying for the Northern Ontario Energy Credit.

Bishop agrees with government appeal

The Harper government says it will appeal a court ruling that struck down Canada's prostitution laws.   An Ontario judge ruled the laws unconstitutional.  Thunder Bay Bishop Fred Colli says he is in favour of the appeal saying prostitution is unacceptable.

Health official calls for bedbug standard

There's a call for a province wide standard to deal with bedbugs. The Thunder Bay District Health Unit isn't legally required to keep track of the problem. Spokesperson Chris Bevridge says he'd like all health units to work off the same page on the issue. He says as an example,  Toronto Public Health is actively involved in the problem there. While we're not seeing that kind of infestation here, Bevridge says it shows there is a need for uniform guidelines. He hopes that's one of the outcomes of a so called "bedbug summit" being held in Toronto.

McGuinty visits Thunder Bay

Premier Dalton McGuinty will be touching down in Northwestern Ontario Thursday. McGuinty will be making a speech at the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association Conference.  His talk is scheduled for noon on Thursday at the Airlane Travelodge Hotel.

City not immune to bedbugs

A local pest control expert says Thunder Bay isn't escaping the bedbug problem in North America. Robert Hamlin of Nor West Pest Control says the critters returned in just the last five years and the numbers have increase 100 per cent. Hamlin says hotels in the city are in good shape, but says bedbugs are part of the industry. Overall, he says the problem is not bad at all.

She's a hunter and a hero

A 448 pound black bear had no chance against a 17 year old girl armed with a bow. Jessica Olmstead of Battle Creek Michigan killed the massive Bruin recently while hunting with her dad near Hornepayne. Olmstead spoke with our newsroom and says it was a special moment for her to be able to come to such a beautiful place with her dad.  Olmstead says just before dark she spotted a bear club playing nearby her tree stand, when out of no where he big bear chased the cub.  The high school student says the cub was chased up the tree when her kill shot saved it from becoming the big bears dinner.   It was Olmstead's first big game kill.

Crime Prevention Council launched

Thunder Bay's Crime Prevention Council is starting to recruit members.  The City held a launch for the council today and Dr. Irvin Waller was the key speaker. Waller addressed the recent murders in the city and says the council needs to review the incidents and look for specific areas where the City could have done a better job.  Waller notes the audit will show areas where there could have been intervention by police, schools, family, or other service provider.  A program coordinator will be hired this fall, and the council's first meeting will be held in mid-December.  Mayor Lynn Peterson says they've set a goal of reducing the City's crime rate by fifty percent over the next ten years. Peterson adds they'll most likely need 100 thousand dollars in funding for crime prevention programs and the council.

Mauro on energy tax credit for seniors

Thunder Bay Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro is defending his government's decision to implement the HST. The NDP have launched a campaign calling on the Provincial Government to exempt energy from the HST.  Mauro says the NDP's numbers weren't accurate and only told half of the story.  The government announced a tax exemption today for Seniors for their energy costs.

OPP investigate murder in Fort Hope

OPP are investigating a murder in Fort Hope First Nation.  Police were called out to the community north of Sioux Lookout on Monday.  The deceased is 38 year old James Wasawa. 27 year old William Oskineegish is in custody, and has been charged with second degree murder, and breach of probation.  He'll be in Thunder Bay court on October 4th.

Breast screening program tests thousands

The Regional Cancer Centre is celebrating a milestone.  It's operated the Breast Screening Program in Northwestern Ontario for 20 years.    Cancer Care Director Alison McMullen says over 32 thousand women have been given mammograms, but more needs to be done.McMullen says the goal is to have 90 per cent of women screened by 2020.

OPP honor local police

Several Thunder Bay Police Officers are being honored by the Ontario Provincial Police.  Det. Sgt. Ken Davis and Det. Constable Justin Dubuc won the Officer of the Year Award.  Constable James Laton of the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau also was honored as an officer of the year.

NOSM heads back to bargaining table Thursday

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is going back to the bargaining table with its OPSEU union employees.  Another round of talks are scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Sudbury.  Meanwhile, a Lakehead University Student is holding her own protest because she's frustrated with NOSM picketers at the school's entrances.  The rally is being held at the campus' Balmoral Street entrance at 1 on Friday.