Forest Fire Hazard In The Green

 At last, the forest fire hazard situation in our area of Northwestern Ontario is down to low. However Ministry of Natural Resources Spokesperson Deb McLean says there is still quite a bit of activity. McLean says the hazard in the northern parts of the region is still at moderate, but the rain is expected to help that.

Mining Matters Back In Rainy River

Rainy River Resources is bringing back the Mining Matters initiative. The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada program gives people a chance to learn more about the mining industry. Company vice-president Kyle Stanfield says two separate sessions will be held in Barwick this week.

ETFO Supports Inquiry

An inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women is supported by the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario. Local President Anne Saltel says it's unfair that the federal government has said no. Saltel says the ETFO believes all people should have the same equity, adding the government seems to be treating Aboriginal women like second-class citizens.

Two Car Crash

Only minor injuries to report after a two vehicle collision. The crash happened this morning at the intersection of Victoria Street and Edward Street. The occupants of the cars were attended to by paramedics at the scene.

Terrorism Prevention Comes To NWO

The fight against terrorism has come to Northwestern Ontario. Rainy River Community College is offering a two-year program that will teach students how to detect and deal with terrorist activities. Coordinator Steve Kovacic says demands for increased security has driven its need. The program is being run in partnership with Itasca Community College in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

Car Rams House

One man is recovering from facial injuries after his car rammed into a house on the 700 block of James Street this evening.   Police say that the incident took place just before 7 of o'clock and may have been the result of a medical condition.  

Agreement Renewed

It's another five years.   Thunder Bay has renewed its sister cities agreement with Duluth.  Mayor Keith Hobbs calls Duluth a true sister city.   Aldo Ruberto, Chair of  Sister Cities Advisory Committee. says it shows a long-lasting relationship between ourselves and our closest international city.

Murder Tips Coming In

Police say the public is responding to a tip line set up following the last week;s murder in the city.  They say a number of tips have been followed up and it remains active.  Thirty year old Shannon Hogan died after being found with serious injuries in a laneway behind a Lake Street house.  The cause of her death is not being revealed.

Former Investment Dealer Hit With Big Fine

A former city investment dealer is feeling the sting of the law.   Pirkko Ramsay must pay a 200 thousand dollar fine after the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada found she misappropriated client funds and failed to cooperate with investigators. The financial violations took place when she worked at the Thunder Bay branch of CIBC Investor Services 

Lots Of Rain On The Way

The Thunder Bay area will be wet over the next day or so.  Environment Canada says a broad area of low pressure over Lake Superior is giving much of Northern Ontario persistent showers..which have been heavy at times due to thunderstorms.  A few locations have received over 20 millimetres since yesterday evening.  Rain is expected to begin to taper off tomorrow, but some areas could receive up to an additional 40 millimetres by Saturday morning. 

Things Looking Up For Treaty 3 Police

A major obstacle has been cleared in keeping the Treaty 3 Police Service Open. A new board was elected this week at the service's annual general meeting. Local Public Service Alliance of Canada rep Judith Monteith-Farrell says the new board is much more open to working with the union. The changes mean the closing of the force has been postponed a year.

Severe Crime Drops In City

Deputy police chief Andy Hay says the latest stats showing a drop in severe crime in 2012 is helping to make us a safer city.  He credits the hard work of  police and community members especially the Crime Prevention Council.   Hay notes however there is a long way go since we still have high murder and domestic assault rates.

New Sports Honour Roll Announced

Two local hockey players and a medal winning paralympic swimmer head this years list of inductees into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.   Andrea Cole was the first female from the region to have won a gold medal at the Paralympic Games in Sydney.  Katie Weatherston was the first female from northwestern Ontario and the first athlete from Thunder Bay to win a gold medal for Canada at the Olympic Games in Turin. Tony Hrkac is the only regional hockey player ever to have won the coveted Hobey Baker Award as the outstanding US College hockey player.

Red Lake Wildfire Eases

The Ministry of Natural Resources says a fire in the Red Lake area is now being held. The blaze, 50 km northwest of the community, started on July 3rd and was caused by a lightning strike. It  has burned more than 18-thousand hectares.

Safeway Deal Doesn't Affect NWO

Empire Company, which owns Sobeys stores in Canada, has struck a deal to sell some of its newly acquired Safeway properties in a sale-leaseback deal with property management company Crombie of Nova Scotia. None of the stores impacted are in northwestern Ontario.

New Gold Close To Goal

In the world of business,  the New Gold mining company says its planned take over of Rainy River Resources is one step closer to reality.  New Gold is giving shareholders of the mining exploration company until August 8th to accept the cash and stock offer .  New Gold says it's just a few percentage points away from its goal of acquiring 90 per cent of Rainy Rainy shares.

More Stanley Cup Info

The time and place are now set for presentation of the Stanley Cup in the city. It will be at the Fort William Gardens on August 2nd from noon until 2:00. Patrick Sharp of the NHL Champion Chicago Blackhawks will be on hand to show off the hardware

Dam Work Postponed

The swimming season can continue at Boulevard Lake. The city has decided to postpone work on the Current River Dam. Spokesperson Pat Mauro says they can't find any company to do the 3 million dollars worth of repairs adding the tenders came in higher than what City Hall had budgeted for. As a result of the decision water on Boulevard Lake will not be drained and the beaches will stay open.

Thirteen Year Old Charged In B & E

A 13 year old boy is facing charges after a Dawson Road lottery store was broke into  yesterday.  Cigarettes and bus passes were stolen.  A court appearance is scheduled for today.  

Dryden Losing Another Senior Staffer

The City of Dryden is losing another senior member. George Friesen has announced his resignation as Airport Manager effective September. Friesen says he's worked with some great staff for the past 23-No replacement has been named.  Friesen is moving to Alberta to pursue other opportunities. The City is now without a full-time Economic Development Officer, City Manager, Library Manager and Recreation Manager, among other high level positions.