Shipments down at Thunder Bay port

Coal and Potash shipments are on the rebound according to the Thunder Bay Port Authority. Overall the port has seen a drop of 8 percent so far this year mainly due to a decrease in grain shipments. CEO Tim Heney adds they're gearing up for a busy fall with project cargo being shipped starting this weekend.

HST Exemption at till

The Union of Ontario Indians is making calls to companies informing them they need to provide HST point of sale exemptions. Companies are now required to provide the tax exemption at the till for first nation residents.  Judy Currie is with the local Union of Indians Office and says they've received only one complaint from this region.

Accident on Fort William Road and Harbour Expressway

Thunder Bay Police are on the scene of a motor vehicle collission this afternoon. Two vehicles are involved, and some injuries were reported. It happened around the intersection of the Fort William Road and the Harbour Expressway

Conmee EMS station closed

The Conmee EMS Station is closed temporarily because of mould. Deputy Chief Don Stokes says they've moved their operations into the Kakabeka Falls fire station. Stokes says they're old facility is a trailer, and they think it may be cheaper to just replace the trailer than repair it.

Diabetes DVD released on Friday

The Dilico Anishinabek Family Care group wants to help put an end to diabetes. The group created an educational video that aims to prevent the disease from overtaking Northern Superior First Nations. The dvd provides information about Type 2 Diabetes and will be made public on Friday. 94 percent of first nations people living in the Robinson-Superior Treaty area have type 2 diabetes, which is preventable.

Rural broadband expanded

Rural communities around Thunder Bay will see improvements made to their high speed internet connections. The money was set aside by large telecommunication companies after the CRTC made them allocate some of their money to rural broadband services.  Dorion, Pass Lake, MacDiarmid, Armstrong, Nakina and Marathon are slated for upgrades this year.

NAPS seizes drugs

Nishnawbe Aski Police executed a search warrant of the Fort Hope First Nation. Police seized a street value of approximately 14-thousand dollars worth of OxyContin prescription drugs. 32 year old Linda Josephine Wabano and 32 year old Normand Sidney Shawinimash have each been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking. Wabano and Shawinimash have both been released on conditions and will appear in court on November 4th.

It's coffee break month

Thunder Bay's Alzheimer Society is celebrating 15 years of "coffee breaks". The fundraiser is being held throughout the month of September. Spokesperson Jason Paul Rasevych says anyone interested in holding a coffee break can pick up a kit from the Alzheimer Society office.

Global Sticks targetting an October start up

Global Sticks is now targeting October for its grand opening. The wooden stick manufacturing factory was originally slated to start up in July but spokesperson Hans-Erik Aamand says there were some issues that slowed up work but the facility should be up and running sometime next month.  The company will build sticks for ice cream bars, popsicles and paint stirring.  When in full operation the facility will employ around 80 people.

Summer Company comes to an end

Thunder Bay's entrepreneur centre is heralding the benefits of the Summer Company program.  Director of the Community Economic Development Commisssion Rebecca Johnson says youth that take part in the program could help guide the city's future.  Johnson notes if they can run a successful business in Thunder Bay now, they'll be more likely to do it again when they've completed their schooling.  A wrap up ceremony was held on Thursday for the local students who took part in this summer's program.

Federal funding rolled out

The Federal Government is helping employ disabled people in the Thunder Bay area. Parliamentry Secretary for Official Languages Greg Rickford was in town yesterday and announced over 200 thousand dollars for the Independent Living Resource Centre. The organization will use the money to provide their program to an additional 90 people. The program helps people living with disabilities gain the skills they need to obtain jobs, prepare for self-employment or return to school.

Get ready for some rain

Get out your rain gear! Its going to get wet in Thunder Bay. Environment Canada's Geoff Coulson says a low pressure system is moving into the area that could bring 20 to 30 millimetres of rain. Coulson says if there is any thunderstorm activity there could be even more rain and some areas could see rainfall warnings. The weather will turn around for the weekend, with sunshine and temperatures nearing the 20 degree mark for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.