Mill Settlement Reached In Terrace Bay

The town of Terrace Bay and the AV Birla Group are now at peace. They've come to a negotiated settlement on tax payments.  Mayor Jody Davis says the deal is prefered to appealing a government tax assessment  on the company's mill property which could have cost the town much more.  Davis says under the deal the company will pay just over 15 million dollars a year in taxes from 2013 until 2016.

Pepe Disappointed In United Airlines

City tourism manager Paul Pepe says he's disappointed that United Airlines will end its daily direct flights from Thunder Bay to Chicago.   The U.S. company has announced that the service will end April 24th.   Pepe says it's not the end of the world. Pepe says the city will explore new marketing channels

Thunder Bay Above Provincial Average

The city of Thunder Bay is well above the provincial average when it comes to tissue donors with 44% of the population registered. Other communities across the region are patting themselves on the back as well with registration numbers above the provincial mark set at 24%.

Winter Roads Open

It's that time of year again the northern winter roads network is open. The provincial and federal government funded the ice road network that connects 28 First Nations.  Cold weather in December and January meant an early start to this year's winter roads season.

Veterans Protest Office Closure





Frank Fox places black
wreath in front of VA office

The Veteran's Affairs office in Thunder Bay is closing today. This morning there was extreme emotion at the office on Red River Road as veterans held a mock Remembrance Day ceremony complete with a wreath and poppies to commemorate the closure. Also on hand was local veteran Roy Lamore who went to Ottawa and pleaded in vain with the minister Julian Fantino to keep this office, another others in the country, open.

United Airlines Pulls Out

Shocking news out of the Thunder Bay Airport.  United Airlines is ceasing its service between Thunder Bay and Chicago. They'll pull out of the local airport on April 24th of this year.  Airport Manager Ed Schmidtke says the City will still be connected to the US via Winnipeg or Toronto by Air Canada, WestJet and Porter Airlines. Meanwhile, WestJet's new Encore flights will depart from Thunder Bay four times daily to Toronto and twice to Winnipeg starting June 27th.

Uli Walthers Sworn In As 2014 Chair

The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce is announcing Uli Walther as the 2014 Chair of the Board. Speaking at the Chamber's Annual General Meeting Thursday evening, Walther says one of the board's goals will be to see more of an impact from Aboriginal workers. Also at the meeting was First Nations Negotiator Bob Rae. Walther says having Rae speak at the event was a significant move in pushing the boards goal forward.

Vets Speak With Rafferty Over Office Closure

A memorial service is being held today over the loss of the city's Veteran's Affairs Office. Thunder Bay MP John Rafferty says after speaking with local veterans it is clear that they are not impressed with Minister Julian Fanitno's handling of the situation. Vets will now have to travel over twelve hours to the North Bay office where half of their case files are being sent. The other half will be sent to Winnipeg.

Rae Says Talks Ongoing

Talks between the Province and First Nations Communities in the Northwest are continuing to move forward.  Speaking in Thunder Bay Thursday evening, First Nations Negotiator Bob Rae says both parties have been focused on the needs of communities involved.  Rae adds that talks have been mainly kept out of the public eye out of respect for all groups involved.

New Garbage Plan

The City is going to get their first look at the draft solid waste management plan Monday night.  Coordinator Jason Sherband says one of their ideas include allowing co-mingled materials in the bins at the recycling depot. Another idea in the plan includes moving to a clear garbage bag program.

Murray Keeping Eye On Roads

The provincial government says its closely monitoring winter road maintenance of the province's highways this winter. Transportation Minister Glenn Murray acknowledges some contractors have been fined for not meeting snow plowing standards, and stronger action will be taken if his Ministry don't see significant improvements. Murray also inviting resident to call contractors and the Ministry if they have complaints about the roads.

Police Looking Into Viral Video

OPP are looking into a viral video that shows a near head on collision on a winter road.   Sgt. Shelley Garr says they're following up on the chilling dash board footage.  Garr says they're trying to identify the driver of the offending truck and charges could be laid.  The video posted on youtube says the incident happened on Highway 11 past Nipigon.  Warning the video contains strong language. 

Cause Of Weekend Fire Undetermined

The cause of a weekend house fire on Jean Street is in the books as undetermined.   City fire inspector Eric Nordlund says their investigation of the blaze has been hampered by conditions inside the vacant house. He says besides being damaged by the fire,  the house is covered by a tremendous amount of  ice inside and out. Nordlund says it appears someone may have been entering the house without the owners permission, but they can't say if anyone was inside prior to the blaze.

Humane Society Hires New ED

Thunder Bay's Humane Society is getting a new Executive Director.  They've hired Melanie Blanchette.  She has a law enforcement background and has volunteered at the local humane society in the past and another in Ottawa.

Minimum Wage Up To 11 Dollars

The Provincial Government is increasing the minimum wage from 10.25 to 11 dollars per hour. Thunder Bay MPP Bill Mauro says it's going to improve people's lives. Ontario is increasing the minimum wage from $10.25 to $11 per hour on June 1, 2014. The new rate reflects the rise in the Consumer Price Index since the last minimum wage increase in 2010.  The government will also introduce legislation that would tie future minimum wage increases to inflation and will see increases come into effect on October 1st.

Hull's Book Store Closing

Thunder Bay's Hull's Family Book Store is going to close it's doors on February 15th. It's part of a larger closure that will see it's parent store in Winnipeg close its doors as well. The owners say they can't sell enough books to stay open.

Sears Layoffs

Sears Canada won't comment on specifics about recent layoffs across the Country but does say Thunder Bay is included.  They say on average five positions were eliminated from each store including the one at the Intercity Mall. The eliminated spots were department heads.

OPP Take Stance Against Reckless Drivers

As Ontario suffers through one of the worst winters in recent history, the OPP are taking a hard stance with reckless drivers who are jeopardizing the safety of officers and other emergency personnel responding to collision scenes.  Three OPP cruisers have been struck by passing motorists since Monday, two of which happened on provincial highways. One OPP officer was taken to hospital after his cruiser was struck from behind while stopped behind a transport truck.  This past weekend, eight OPP cruisers were struck by passing motorists and two police officers received minor injuries.

Rickford Reacts To Trudeau

A move to change the political landscape in Canada has caught the attention of Kenora MP Greg Rickford. The Minister of State is reacting to Liberal leader Justin Trudeau's decision to turf his senators from the Liberal Caucus.  Rickford says the move only means that the Liberal leader and his party continue to support an unelected and unaccountable Senate.

Paquette Shocked By Trudeau Decision

Lakehead University's Political Science Professor is adding her name to the list of political veterans who were shocked by Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's decision to order his party's senators to sit as independents.  Laure Paquette says it worries her that some of the senators reportedly didn't know about Trudeau's decision before the announcement.  Paquette says it's good that the Liberal senators are freed from partisanship but that means nothing if the others don't break ties from the other parties.