Culture Plan Open House

The City of Thunder Bay is still working on its culture plan. A series of open houses were held earlier in the year and another is set for September 23rd. Spokesperson Leah Bailey says the plan is taking shape and is set to be completed in the new year. Bailey adds they're going to showcase their work during "culture days" which will be held the weekend of the 24th to 26th.

OPP pulling missing man's body from lake

The body of a Duluth man has been pulled from the waters of McAree Lake in Quetico Provincial Park.  Rainy River OPP had been searching for Darrell Cellers who had gone missing in the area since September 9th.  Investigation revealed that Cellers had been travelling through the park when hs canoe overtuned during windy conditions.  A post mortem exam proved Cellers drowned.

Thunderwolves finalize 10-11 roster

The LU Thunderwolves hockey team has finalized its roster for the upcoming season. The T-Wolves will carry 24 players including 14 forwards, 7 defence men and 3 goalies. 13 players are from Northern Ontario, 9 of those are from Thunder Bay. The home opener is set for October first when the University of Ottawa Gee Gees visit for a two game series.

Only one acclamation in Shuniah

The election list is official in the Township of Shuniah. The community has certified it's list of 7 candidates. That includes two candidates for Reeve and 5 ward candidates. Alana Bishop will get to represent Ward 2 because she is the only candidate to register and is therefore acclaimed.

Gillies council all acclaimed

Residents of Gillies Township won't have to worry about going to the polls on October 25th. The certified election list shows all council candidates, including Reeve Rick Kieri have been acclaimed.

Chamber and NAN to protest together

The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce and the Nishnawbe Aski Nation will be shoulder to shoulder this week. Chamber President Harold Wilson says they'll be protesting at Queens Park together against the Far North Act. Wilson says joining forces with NAN shows the north is united against a piece of legislation that is detrimental to the region.   The protest will take place on Thursday.

Four survive plane crash

4-people from Red Lake walked away from a plane crash about 27-miles east of Pickle Lake. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre reported that the aircraft went down in the bush last Friday afternoon. OPP say the plane stopped at the Pickle Lake Airport to fuel before heading to Kashchewan. However, shortly after take-off the pilot experienced engine trouble and was forced to put the aircraft down. Two of the four occupants of the Northern Water Works Sales and Consulting plane were treated for minor injuries.

PC's take on the Libs over Far North Act

The provincial Conservatives are bashing the McGuinty Liberals for the way they are handling the Far North Act. The act is expected to be passed this week. PC Northern Development Critic Randy Hillier says the fact the government cancelled public hearings shows they aren't listening. He says the Liberals are ramming the new law through.

Police are investigating sudden death in Cat Lake

The OPP are investigating after a man died in police custody in Cat Lake. Officers were called to the community nursing station Thursday night and were confronted by Romeo Wesley. The officers got into a struggle with the man before arresting him. Shortly after he was arrested Wesley was pronounced dead.

Hotel-condo land size reduced

The waterfront land that is being sold for a condo and hotel development is now smaller. Waterfront Manager Katherine Dugmore says the 2.65 acre parcel has been reduced by about half an acre because the larger area wasn't required for the projects. Dugmore says the financial hit will be minimal and that the loss could be recovered during site preparation.

Police kill black bear in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay police were forced to kill a bear Saturday night at a Ridgeway Street address. The bear was found in the back yard of a residence. Police had to shoot the bear when it became dangerous.

City to meet with transit workers tomorrow

Representatives from the Amalgamated Transit Workers Union 966 and the city will sit down Monday for the first time since the union's August 29th strike vote.

The union, which represents the city's transit workers, has voted 96% in favour of strike action. The earliest the union can legally strike or take other job action is September 17th— a deadline that is fast approaching.

Union president Charlie Brown says he hopes the two sides can have a productive meeting.

Local firefighters remember World Trade Center

This morning, local firefighters took a moment to remember fire and rescue     workers  who lost their lives responding to the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

Thunder Bay firefighters lowered station flags to half mast, dressed themselves in full gear, and brought out a truck with it's emergency lights on. 

Dave Grant of  Thunder Bay Fire Rescue says the same memorial gesture was performed at fire stations across Canada and the U.S.

Last minute candidates enter election

Nominations are now closed for the October 25th municipal election. City Clerk John Hannam says the next move is to make the list official. Some highlights from the last minute include a sixth candidate for Mayor, Colin Burridge, and one withdrawal, Sargon Khubyar from Northwood.  Also added Friday were Laury Alexander in Red River Ward, Robin Rickards in McKellar, former councillor Bill Scollie in Neebing, Frank Armiento in Northwood along with Chris Watkins in McIntyre and Tyler Woods in the At-Large category.

Tainted burgers not in Thunder Bay

The Health Unit is letting people know that there have been no cases of e-coli found in hamburgers sold in Thunder Bay. The Ministry of Health is reporting four cases of e-coli found in Leadbetters Cowboy beef burgers. The local health unit has been contacting food vendors about this product, and it has not yet been identified in local food stores.

There will be a Tighe in Shuniah race

There is now a race for Reeve in Shuniah Township. Retired business person Peter Tighe is going up against incumbent Maria Harding. Tighe believes it's time for a change. Tighe says he wants to work with all levels of government to promote Shuniah.

Union rallies prior to strike

Striking medical school workers at Lakehead University are looking forward to next week. That's when bargaining continues to resolve their labour dispute. Union boss Yuk-Sem Won tried to rally the members today with reminders of why they are on strike and to stay united. The union is upset the talks were held up for two weeks.

Specialist skills for high school students

More Thunder Bay high school students will get a career edge with the expansion of the Specialist High Skills Majors program.  Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle announced the expansion of the program on Friday.  The secondary program helps students earn credits towards their high school diploma, gain sector certifications and gives hands on work experience.  Superior Collegiate, St. Ignatius and St. Patrick High School are offering the new specialized courses in aviation and aerospace, arts and culture, health and wellness and transportation.

Caribou Charity Ride

380 cyclists will be taking part in the second annual Caribou Charity Ride on Sunday.  The fundraiser is in support of the Northern Cancer Fund.  100 km route participants start the day at 9:30 at the Norwester Best Western, while 50 km route bikers start an hour later.

Solar project for Pikangikum

The Provincial Government is spending nearly 22-thousand dollars to help two Northwestern Ontario camps go solar. The Pikangikum First Nation's Whitefeather Waters Tourism Association is developing solar powered systems at the fishing and hunting camps. The project includes installing solar panels, storage batteries and water pumps. The move will modernize operations and reduce costs.

Sioux Lookout has youth hostel

The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority officialy opened the doors to its new Hostel on Friday.  The Hostel is spacious, modern and celebrates local First Nations culture and traditions.  The 2-storey, 38-thousand square foot facility holds 100-beds, food services, a family lounge, games area and children's play area.  Planning for the 14-million dollar Hostel began in June 2004 and Health Canada provided 10-million  in funding.

Highway upgrades announced

Another tender has been awarded for the upgrades being made to the Trans Canada highway. Pioneer Construction won the 5.9 million dollar contract. A section of Highway 11 east of Longlac will be paved. 40 jobs will be created through this project.

Housing starts up in Thunder Bay

Single detached housing starts are up in Thunder Bay.  The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation is reporting 35 units being built in August, up from twenty starts in August of 2009.  Single family home starts were almost evenly split between McIntyre, Neebing and Red River wards. Meanwhile, the price of new homes fell 1.9 percent between June and July.

Go Green this weekend

Earthwise Thunder Bay wants you to go "green". The first ever "Go Green" expo is being held this weekend. Chair Ruth Cook says they'll be offering a number of environmentally friendly workshops. Cook says they'll also hold an exhibit featuring local green companies.

Multiplex process rolls on

Over 800 people had their say when it came to the proposed Multiplex.  The input from a series of preliminary consultation sessions on the multiplex will be presented to council Monday night.  Most people polled were worried about the cost of the project and how many activities could be held in the centre.  The next stage of the multiplex consultation process is a feasibility study.

Bike lanes popular

The City of Thunder Bay loves it's bike lanes.  That's the message from Active Transportation Manager Adam Krupper.  Krupper says they have hard facts proving the success of the new bike lanes.  Krupper will be making a presentation to council Monday night.

Library use up

Things are moving along at the construction site of the Mary J.L Black Library. That's part of a 2009 review on Thunder Bay's libraries that will be provided to city council on Monday. Chief Librarian Gina La Force says they have positive news to pass on to council. User rates are up once again at all library braches. La Force notes 2010 is looking positive for the library as well.

A search is underway for missing man in Quetico

OPP are looking for a missing man in Quetico Provincial Park. Police say they received an emergency GPS locator beacon yesterday afternoon and have been searching McAree Lake for the man. The OPP's underwater search and recovery team has been called in.

Special Olympics get support

Local organizers of this winter's Special Olympics are over half-way to their 800 thousand dollar fundraising goal. Chairman J-P Levesque says they are working on added support for the games. The latest donation is 75 hundred dollars from Molson Brewery.

Jobless rate increases in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay's unemployment rate saw a big jump last month. Our rate went from July's 5.7 percent to 6.6 in August. It still puts us well below the national average which rose to 8.1 percent last month, up from July's 8 percent.

Police nab school zone violators

Thunder Bay drivers still aren't slowing down in school zones. During this first week of school police handed out almost 100 speeding tickets. In total this week there have been 122 traffic violations in school zones.

Johnson seeks reelection

Rebecca Johnson has made it official and is running for her third term on City council.  Johnson has launched a website for her bid for councillor at large.  Johnson's website outlines her priorities noting city services, infrastructure, and public and private partnerships being in the top three.

Victim died from beating: Police

Police say the latest murder victim in the city was beaten to death. They say that a postmortem on the body of  30 year old Verna Sturgeon shows she died of blunt force trauma. Her body was found in the room at the Travelodge Airlane on Friday. Two women who were charged in the case, 33 year old Joanne Vivier and 28 year old Michelle Morris,  will be back in court on Monday.

More road work; another road closure

City of Thunder Bay crews are busy at work today. Walsh Street between Kingsway Avenue and Waterloo Street is closed to through traffic at the rail crossing. Motorists will need to find an alternate route up until September 19th when the roadwork and rail construction is complete.

PM to visit Thunder Bay

The Prime Minister is coming to Thunder Bay. A Conservative Party official says that Stephen Harper will be here for a party rally Friday, September 17. It will be taking place late in the afternoon at the Victoria Inn. It's not known if Harper will be making any funding announcement while he's here.

Pullia seeks Mayor's chair

Frank Pullia is running for mayor. The City Councillor says recent changes in the economy create new challenges which he believes requires a new style of leadership. This would be Pullia's fourth shot at the city's top job. He lost out in previous elections to Lynn Peterson and Ken Boshcoff.

20 new jobs created

A Thunder Bay industrial contractor is growing its pipe fabrication business.  The expansion will create 20 new jobs.  Venshore Mechanical has purchased extra production equipment and a custom designed building with overhead lifting capacity.  The money used to buy the equipment was provided by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.

Superior North EMS wants to save more lives

Thunder Bay's Emergency Medical Services wants to save more lives. Superior North EMS will be leading a coalition of groups to increase the survival rates from sudden cardiac death. Chief Norm Gale says they want to train the public in CPR and public access defibrillators. Gale will be asking for City council's support on Monday. Gale says if bystanders can help with CPR and public access defibrillators they could save an extra six lives each year.

Extra 47 thousand dollars needed

Thunder Bay City Council is going to be asked to provide an additional 47 thousand dollars for a series of sewer and watermain replacements.  Engineering Manager Pat Mauro says the money is needed to cover the increased costs associated with the contract.  Mauro says they have the money in their budget they just need council to approve it.

Greenstone Mayor not running

The past president of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is stepping down from municipal politics. Greenstone Mayor Michael Power has announced that he will not be running in this year's municipal election. The 68 year old is going to use his time away from office on his family.

Pow-Wow for FASD

The fight continues to prevent women from drinking alcohol while they're pregnant. As part of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder day, there was an annual Pow-Pow at Marina Park. Kelly Hicks of the Native Friendship Centre says it remains a critical issue here. She says awareness and support are key to helping resolve the problem.

Boshcoff running for Councillor at Large

After saying he doesn't want to run for the city's top job, former Mayor Ken Boshcoff now say he intends to run for city councillor at large. Boshcoff doesn't call it a change of heart, just a change of priorities involving his private business. Boshcoff is also the federal Liberal candidate for the Thunder Bay-Rainy River Riding.

CAA pays visit to Thunder Bay

CAA's Worst Roads Campaign paid a visit to Thunder Bay this morning.  The 8th annual campaign is used to to prod governments to invest more to repair roads, highways and bridges.  Spokesperson Korey Kennedy says Northwestern Ontario residents can help fix area roads and highways just by voting.  Votes will be accepted up until September 30th.

RV Parking examined by council

Councillor Ian Angus wants the city to consider a by-law banning overnight RV parking at large retail stores. Angus says he's not targetting Walmart or any one particular store. Administration is going to be asked to look at what power the city has over parking on private property. Angus feels its hurting business for local RV campgrounds and municipally owned camp sites.

LU opens up orientation for new students

New students at Lakehead University will be getting a crash course on post secondary life this weekend. LU's Brendan Hughes says it kicks off Thursday and will give students a number events to take in. Hughes says the events will cover the academic, athletic and social aspects of campus life. Orientation wraps up with the President's Dinner Saturday night.

Missing Kayakers found safe and sound

Everyone is safe and sound. That's the word from the Canadian Coast Guard who conducted an air search this morning for 9 missing Kayakers from Lakehead University. Coordinator Erin Vincent says fears arose when the group couldn't be reached by radio, but once the search plane flew over the group they made radio contact. Vincent says the group was located in the Nipigon straight and are expected to arrive in Redrock sometime tonight.

Chief makes plea over gun registry

Thunder Bay's Police Chief is pleading with the city's two MP's not to vote in favour of scrapping the long gun registry. Bob Herman calls the registry an effective tool to battle crime. He asks John Rafferty and Bruce Hyer, to consider the safety of his officers and the citizens of the city when voting on the issue.

Participants needed for study

St. Joseph's Care Group is looking for people willing to take part in a study on brain injuries. Scientific Director Michel Bedard says it's to examine some new treatment options that appear to be effective. The 10 week study is being done along with hospitals in Toronto and Ottawa.

Hunting season upon us

With the fall weather comes the start of hunting season. Grouse hunting season opens across most of northwestern Ontario next Wednesday. Don't forget to brush up on your hunting rules and regulations. To do so you can consult the 2010 Hunting Regulations handbook through the Ministry of Natural Resources' website. The daily limit for ruffed grouse and spruce grouse is a combined total of five.

Port achieves another first

Another first for the Port of Thunder Bay. This time it's a ship that came with one load of cargo and left with another unrelated load. CEO Tim Heney says it arrived from Germany with a load of 50 wind turbines and left with a load of flax for Belgium.  Heney says it's two way service they hope will continue.