Thunder Bay Has #1 Murder Rate

Thunder Bay once again has the dubious honour of being the murder capital of Canada.  Statistics Canada says the 7 homicides we had in 2012 helped push our per capita rate to 5.8 murders for every 100 thousand people.    Police Chief J-P Levesque did not want to comment on the figures.

Expanded Dental Services For Needy Kids

The province says it's trying to make it easier for needy families to send their children to the dentist.    The eligibility for free dental care has now been expanded to include  70 thousand more low income children and youth.  The government says the expansion is part of Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Campbell Outraged Over Highway Maintenance

It has been another tragic week on area highways and Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell has seen enough. She's calling for immediate action to winter road maintenance in northwestern Ontario. Campbell points to a recent decision by Iron Range Bus Lines to cancel service on a major route. Campbell says police are even indicating that most recent collisions have been caused by poor road conditions.

Records Judgement Reserved

Former residential school students in Fort Albany will have to wait a bit longer to see if they get access to records that could help support their claims of abuse. Two days of hearings into the matter wrapped up Wednesday night in Toronto.  The justice reserved his decision on whether the federal government and the OPP should hand over the documents, and whether they should be used in the complex process for claiming compensation. Former St. Anne’s Residential School student Andrew Wesley said he hopes a ruling is made soon.

PCs Have Plan For Skilled Trades

Tim Hudak, Jane McKenna

The Progressive Conservatives in Ontario are proposing to give high school students hands on experience.  PC economic critic Jane McKenna says as part of the party platform on big cities, they would make sure skills training was included in the curriculum for at risk youth.  The plan would see local high schools would be partnered with provincially funded construction projects.    The PCs believe their idea would ease the current high demand for skilled trades.

Savings Bond Rate Unchanged

The province is keeping the Interest Rate on Ontario Savings Bonds the same. The rate of  1.3 per cent applies to Variable-Rate Bonds dated 2007 and 2008. Finance Minister Charles Sousa says keeping the rate competitive encourages the people of Ontario to invest their money at home where they help create jobs and build infrastructure.

Olivia And Liam Remain Top Baby Names

Young parents in Ontario aren't changing their ways when it comes to naming their children.   The government says Olivia and Liam are the most popular names for girls and boys born in the province for the second year in a row.   Emma, Sophia and Ava are right behind Olivia for popular girls names.   For boys Ethan, Jacob and Lucas filled in the top four.

Meeting To Discuss Youth Centre

It should be an interesting evening  at the Moose Hall on Fort William Road.   Opponents of a proposed Indian Friendship Youth Centre at the former Prosvita Hall on High Street are gathering to explain the strategy for next month's city hall meeting.  Organizer Michael Lemesani says he's coming with new information.   The meeting starts at 6:30.

Kettle Campaign Running Short

The Salvation Army's Christmas Kettle Campaign is hopeful Thunder Bay residents can dig a little deeper to reach its fundraising goal.  This year's local effort has raised just over 112-thousand dollars, but is still 12-thousand dollars short of the 2012 total with less than a week to go.

Orders Issued After Fall

The company that's demolishing the old Smurfit Stone mill on Strathcona Avenue is in trouble with the government after this weeks industrial accident.  That's when a worker fell about 30 feet while on the job.  Matt Blajer of the Ministy of Labour says until certain issues are cleared up, all work at the site is halted.  That includes providing fall protection equipment to workers, to train them in fall protection and to develop and emergency plan.  The condition of the worker who was hurt isn't known.

Province Launches Mining Safety Review

Ontario is launching a comprehensive mining safety review.   Mine Minister Michael Gravelle says it's to improve the health and well-being of workers in the sector.  Starting in early 2014, the province’s Chief Prevention Officer will lead an advisory group of industry, labour, and health and safety representatives to begin a sweeping review that will involve a wide range of area.

Health Unit Probes Suspected Food Poisoning

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit is looking into possible food poisoning following a banquet at the Moose Hall on Fort William Road.  Officials say that about 54 people who were at the event on Friday became sick.    They hope to contact as many of the 270 people that attended the event as possible, that includes people from Greenstone, Dryden, Kenora and even Hamilton.   Meantime health officials say charges have been laid and until further notice, the Moose Hall can't serve food.

LHIN Gets Senior Support Dollars

The regional health authority is getting a big financial boost to help it coordinate better seniors care.   MPP Bill Mauro announced  4.4 million dollars in support for the Northwest LHIN, money  which will be used to support home care for more seniors – and for expanded community health care services, including mental health supports.

Crash Victim From Atikokan

Police are now identifying the vicitim of Tuesday's fatal collision on Highway 11 west of the city.  Dead is 76 year old Fredrick Munro of Atikokan.   OPP says he was the driver of a car that collided with a commercial vehicle just east of Highway 633.  His passenger, a 71 year old woman from Atikokan is in the Thunder Bay Health Sciences Centre with serious injuries.   The driver of the commercial truck, a 49 year old man from Thunder Bay, was not injured.

Christmas Lights Recall Expanded

Loblaw is expanding its recall of outdoor holiday lights.  The company says the recall of Life at Home LED 70-count Outdoor Christmas lights will now include two additional colours of Pure White and Red.   They say it's because of the possibility of loose or exposed wires. No injuries or property damage has been reported; however there is a risk of electrical shock, electrocution or fire.  The lights have been sold at Real Canadian Superstore, Real Canadian Wholesale Club, Extra Foods and No Frills locations in Ontario

More Support For Local Vets Office

The minister of veteran affairs will be hearing calls from more Northern Ontario communities. Kenora city council has passed a resolution to lobby the Julian Fantino to keep the nine offices around the country open. Councillor Ron Lunny says it`s important to stand up for the Thunder Bay office. The resolution will also be passed along to the regions MP's Greg Rickford, John Rafferty, and Bruce Hyer. The offices are slated to close at the end of January.

Drive Clean Fee Reduced

As of April 1st the Ontario government will be charging five dollars less to vehicle owners receiving Drive Clean emission tests. The tests were introduced as a way to reduce smog and other toxic emissions caused by motor vehicles. They require drivers to bring in their vehicle to check the emissions upon notification from the Ministry of Transportation.   The fee is being reduced from $35 to $30 to ensure the program is not taking in more money than it costs to run the tests.

Gas Tax Will Hurt North: Fedeli

Progressive Conservatives say Liberal plans to add a new province-wide gas tax to fund rapid transit in southern Ontario will have a huge impact on the north. Critic Vic Fedeli says an extra 10 cent a litre will lead to higher prices for other products trucked to northern Ontario. He says that will have a devastating on consumer prices.   Fedeli says raising the capital for the project should be others ways than raising taxes.

NAN Rallies

Members of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation are in Toronto rallying in support of St. Anne's Residential School survivors.This is the final day of a two-day hearing in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice where the federal government is being challenged to release documents from a police investigation of residential school abuse at St. Anne's in Fort Albany.NAN Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler says the government's decision to keep evidence from survivors compromises the rights of these survivors and notes they have a legal obligation under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement to release the documents. Fiddler stresses the survivors of St. Anne's have suffered enough.

Inquest Begins Today

The Coroner's inquest begins today in the April 2012 death of a Thunder Bay man.  31-year old Lee Antoniak was killed in an industrial accident while working at the condo development at the Thunder Bay Country Club.  Antoniak was struck by a dump truck and the jury will make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths.  The inquest is expected to last three days with up to 15 witnesses taking the stand.