Windy conditions are a nuisance

People may have had a hard time chasing down errant garbage cans and other items that got caught up in the high winds yesterday.  One person had to grab their trampoline after it became airborne and hopped over a fence.  Trampoline made its way over the fence in Parkdale.  Winds yesterday were gusting up to 70 kilometers an hour. 

Local Liberal eager for Federal Leaders visit

Federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is paying a visit to Thunder Bay on Thursday.  Yves Fricot is the Federal Liberal Candidate for Thunder Bay Superior North and says the state of the economy will be just one issue that he will address.  The Liberal Leader will be speaking for an hour and a half at Confederation College.  Ignatieff will also tour the Bombardier facilities in Thunder Bay and hold court with Liberal faithful at Gargolyes in the evening.

Spence acquitted of manslaughter

A man facing manslaughter charges has been acquitted.  23 year old Marvin Spence was facing the charges in connection to the December 2007 death of 44 year old Scott James.  A bouncer at the time, Spence kicked James out of a bar on Simpson street, James died shortly after.  The Judge found insufficient evidence to prove Spence landed the blow that killed James and acquitted him.

Thunder Bay man has messy police stop

Reports out of Timmins say a drunk driver with triple the legal amount of booze in his blood drove the wrong way on a one way street.  When Timmins police pulled him over the Thunder Bay man told the officer he soiled himself.  He was fined over a thousand dollars and is prohibited from operating a motor vehicle for 18 months after pleading guilty on Tuesday.  The man told the police officer he had just moved to town for a job.

Weather impacts bus routes today

City buses will be making a number of detours thanks to the wild weather today.  Many vehicle accidents, drainage issues, and fallen trees have caused the routes to be altered.  There will be delays and stops may be missed on the numbers 9, 11 and 2 routes.

Rafferty on HST warpath

Thunder Bay Rainy River MP John Rafferty is criticizing the Government for not exempting legions from the HST on poppy sales.  Rafferty says its like taking money from veterans.  Legions use the poppies as a way to remember fallen soldiers and as a fundraiser for their local chapters. Rafferty says it robs legions from money, and taxes the public act of showing respect for veterans. A private members bill asking for an exemption is being introduced but if passed won't help until the next Remembrance Day.

Foulds vows to work with Hobbs

Andrew Foulds was one of the 10 councillors to get re-elected in Monday's civic vote. The Current River rep says he's confident he'll be able to work with the new mayor Keith Hobbs and is looking forward to the next four years.   Foulds hopes to continue what he calls,  a relationship of respect with the other councillors

Hobbs still on cloud 9

Keith Hobbs says it still hasn't sunk in yet. He says his first day as mayor-elect has been a whirlwind of news interviews. He says he's already planning to lay the groundwork for his first term.  Hobbs says he's also looking to make some connections within the higher levels of government.

Lines down everywhere

The evidence of today's wind and rain storm is everywhere.  On Balmoral between the Oliver Road and Beverly,  there are several downed power poles. It's forced the closure of that section idefinitely.  At the height of the outage over the noon hour there were 10 thousand Thunder Bay Hydro customers without electricity.

Power outage affects traffic lights

Hydro, Fire and Police crews have been out this afternoon at various intersections in the North Ward.    A power outage has taken grip as the result of the wind and rain storm we're experiencing.   Police have been directing traffic because signal lights are out.

Power outages reported across the City

The wicked weather has caused a number of power outages in the City.  10 thousand Thunder Bay Hydro customers are without power.  Thunder Bay Hydro Spokesperson Eileen Dias says crews are doing the best they can to restore power. Trees have fallen on power lines, and the powers outs are wide spread across the City. 

Great Lakes Cyclone hitting Thunder Bay

Hold on to something heavy today because the Great Lakes Cyclone is paying us a visit. Environment Canada's Geoff Coulson says the very intense system is effecting Thunder Bay.  He says the storm will be strong winds gusting to 70 kilometres an hour and as much as 50 millimetres of rain by tomorrow evening.  Coulson says the temperatures will prevent any snow from hitting the area but Western Manitoba is a different story where Major snowfall warnings are in effect. 

Oliver Paipoonge reelects Klousterhuis

Lucy Klousterhuis earned another term as Oliver Paipoonge's Mayor. Klousterhuis says it was the first election since the two wards merged.  The community elected three new councillors Monday night.
Meanwhile,  the official election results are in in Shuniah.  891 votes meant Maria Harding could keep her job as Mayor.

Johnson finds the new make up of council exciting

Rebecca Johnson was one of 4 Councillor's at large re-elected in last night's election. Johnson says its going to be interesting working with new mayor, Keith Hobbs.  Johnson says it'll definitely be different but having a different view on council is exciting.

Chief says "no comment"

There's lots of reaction to yesterday's election,  but there's at least one person who isn't saying anything.  Police Chief Bob Herman says he won't be commenting on the election results.    Mayor-elect Keith Hobbs has been a vocal opponent of how the Police Service is run.

Peterson proud of accomplishments

Lynn Peterson says she appreciates the time she's spent serving the community as an elected official and that it's been a real honour. The outgoing mayor is proud of the many projects that she has overseen. She says initiatives like the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, the waterfront development and the new courthouse are moving the city forward.  Peterson says while she feels she ran a good campaign, clearly the community wanted some change.  While  she has no immediate plans, Peterson says she will stay involved in the community.

Pugh takes McKellar

Paul Pugh showed a strong win in the McKellar Ward and says he's honoured voters have given him their trust.  During his campaign he found the efforts of community groups  in his ward encouraging and wants the city to do more to work with neighbourhood groups. Pugh says his next step is to do further research into the city's issues as he prepares to take his seat on council.

Hobbs wins mayor's race

Thunder Bay is going to get a new mayor. Keith Hobbs pulled off an upset over incumbent Mayor Lynn Peterson. Around 200 people attended his celebration at the Da Vinci Centre. Hobbs says he's looking forward to working with administration and the rest of council. He notes there shouldn't be any hard feelings from the election campaign. In the At Large Race it's Ken Boshcoff, Larry Hebert, Iain Angus and Aldo Ruberto. Other winners, Trevor Giertuga , Andrew Foulds, Joe Virdiramo, Paul Pugh, Mark Bentz, Brian McKinnon and Linda Rydholm. Complete election results available at this link.

Thunder Bay sees slight increase in voter turnout

It wasn't the highest voter turn out for the City of Thunder Bay. Around 40 percent came out to exercise their right to vote which is two percent more than the last election. Voter turnout in the seventies was around fifty percent. Returning Officer John Hannam says they're not overly disappointed. Hannam says they'll have a better idea of how many people voted on Wednesday when they release the official election results.

At Large Councillor Election Round Up

Most of Thunder Bay's at large councillors will be on the job for another term.  Ian Angus, Larry Hebert, Rebecca Johnson, and Aldo Roberto appear to have won their seats back according to unofficial election results.  Hebert says he's going to work towards making council more transparent.  Meanwhile, Angus he's ready to tackle job creation.  Former Thunder Bay Mayor Ken Boshcoff rounds out the at large council members.   Boshcoff says he's happy to return to municipal politics.  The new council and Mayor will be sworn in December 1st.

Pullia reflects on campaign

Former City Councillor Frank Pullia feels he put up a good fight in the Mayor's race.  Pullia lost his council spot, but notes he doesn't regret his decision to run.  The former at large council member says he could sense people wanted change, and he offered it but Hobbs was a more radical change.  This was Pullia's fourth attempt for Mayor.  Pullia stopped by to congratulate Hobbs last night.

Inntowner coming down

You can officially say good-bye to the Inntowner Hotel.  Starting this week, the city is  tearing it down to put up a parking lot.  Officials say it's part of the plan to revitalize the city's south core. 

EcoSuperior supports plastic bag ban

Plastic bags at grocery stores could be on the way out, if EcoSuperior and an MP from London Ontario get their way. The MP is introducing a private members bill calling for an out right ban on plastic grocery bags. EcoSuperior Executive Director Ellen Mortfield says Thunder Bay people use reusable bags very often and feels we are ready for a ban.  Mortfield says EcoSuperior will be talking to our local MP's to see how they will be voting.

It'll be a rainy start to the week

Get ready for some wet and wild weather. Environment Canada's Geoff Coulson says we are going to get a drenching with as much as 30 millimetres of rain expected to fall tomorrow. Coulson says in addition to the rain its going to be very windy with gusts hitting the 70 kilometre mark.

Dawna Friesen visits our radio station

 Dawna Friesen is back to her roots today.   The new anchor of Global National is in Thunder Bay as part of the network's plan to broadcast the news program from cities across Canada.   She took time this morning to visit our studio and talk about her adventures as a reporter for NBC News and to read a newscast for us.

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NOSM and OPSEU set talk dates

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine strike will continue for the rest of this month at the very least.  OPSEU and NOSM officials won't be heading back to the negotiating table until November 1st.  The two sides haven't met since union members rejected the school's last offer two weeks ago. 

No cause found for fire

The Ontario Fire Marshall has completed the investigation of the West Hotel fire. According to Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, it doesn't look like the investigation was able to uncover the cause of the fire. The site was turned back over to the city yesterday around noon and the next step will likely be demolition.

Family day at the farm for new health care professionals

Around a hundred new health care professionals and medical students along with their families will enjoy a day of activities at Belluz Farm today.

The event is being put on by the Thunder Bay Physician Recruitment & Retention Council.

Thunder Bay Community Relations Coordinator Cheryl Armstrong says it's a good way to show medical professionals what the city has to offer. Armstrong also adds that it gives them a chance to meet one another.

The event is also being sponsored by the Thunder Bay NOSM Group.

Highway improvements

32  highway projects in the region are nearing completion.

Nearly 500 kilometers of highway are being repaved and nine bridges are also being worked on.

Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle says that the improvements will lead to safer roads and encourage economic growth.

The province is spending a record $773 million in this years Northern Highways Program.

Minnesota man fined for hunting violations

A Minnesota man learned the hard way about following the rules when it comes to hunting.

The man--who is from Grand Marais--was fined a thousand dollars for firing his gun across a road when he shot a moose last year.

He was also fined another four-hundred dollars for providing a false statement to a Ministry of Natural Resources officer.

The man appeared in court on October 13th in Thunder Bay.

It's illegal to discharge a firearm over or on a public road in Ontario

Electronic waste collection

Not sure what to do with with your old electronics?

Thunder Bay residents will have an opportunity to recycle their old electronic equipment tomorrow. The Ontario Electronic Stewardship program takes place 9:30-2:30 in the Intercity shopping centre parking lot.

Collected materials will be tracked until they are recycled or disposed of in an environmentally responsible way.

The program is being funded by importers, brand owners and assemblers.

NOSM talks back on

The two sides in the Northern Ontario Medical School strike are heading back to the bargaining table November first. They'll be attempting to negotiate a contract to end a strike that has been on since August 16th. It's the first set of talks since the OPSEU members voted to turn down a tentative contract agreement earlier this month.

Burt Transpotation faces operating challenges from City

A transit company providing rides to the Handi-Cap is facing challenges from the City.  The company was offering free rides to Community Living clients but was asked to stop by the City.  Burt Transportation Manager Wayne Boulter says the city feels they're operating as an illegal taxi service.  He wants to speak to council but can't because the City's litigator is investigating.  Boulter says he's not giving up the fight.

Over limit of walleye proves to be costly

Four Illinois men were pinched with an over limit of fish.  Each guy had to cough up 800 dollars for possessing an over limit of Walleye, and only two of them had to pay an extra 500 dollars for lying to a conservation officer.  The illegal fishing activity took place on Smooth Rock Lake near Thunder Bay.

It's "red nose" time again!

The Fort City Kinettes are selling red noses for charity. The project is called "Clowning 4 Kids" Organizer Alexis Szczomak  says the money collected will go towards the George Jeffery Children's Centre and Ronald McDonald House.  The noses are 2 dollars each and can be found at a variety of city locations.

Fire cause probed

Investigators are at the scene of yesterdays fire at the West Hotel on Simpson street. There's still no cause to report. Fire Prevention officer Brian Berringer says they're using heavy machinery to move around the debris.  They're expected to be back there again tomorrow.

OPP investigate ATV accident

A 62 year old man from St. Williams, Ontario was transported to the Thunder Bay hospital Friday. A single vehicle ATV rolled over near Longlac this morning. The driver's injuries are non life threatening.

Fort Frances cereal at Royal Ontario Fair

Residents of southern Ontario will soon get a taste of Rainy River Cereal.  The unique wild rice cereal, being made by a Fort Frances area first nation company will be on display at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto.  President Drew Atwell says it's an important fair to be at. Atwell says success at the fair will help determine how quickly they can get product out to a wider market.

Northwestern Ontario man honoured

A Fort Frances man who has devoted much of his time to bettering the lives of area cancer patients has been given a Senior Achievement Award by the province. Anthony Kadikoff has been involved in raising funds for Northern Cancer Fund and serves on the Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre Foundation. Kadikoff was also one of the leading fundraisers for Tamarack Place which provides the regions cancer patients a place to stay while getting treatment in Thunder Bay.

Former Navy Commander visits Thunder Bay

A commander in the Canadian Navy is visiting Thunder Bay. Commander Steve Waddell is here as part the Navy's centennial and he'll be talking to people about the importance of the Navy and recruitment.  Waddell says with over 90 percent of trade being done by sea a Navy is crucial.  He says Thunder Bay has a strong link to the Navy, through the past and the future.

Thunder Bay election results website

You can find out the election results from the comfort of your couch.  Thunder Bay has launched a new web page that will report the 2010 Municipal Election results.  Unofficial results will be generated on the page starting at 8 Monday.  The website can be found here. You can also tune in to our radio stations for our updates on the election. 

Greenpeace visits on Monday

Greenpeace are in Thunder Bay Monday with their "Caribou Caravan."  The environmental group is pressuring Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle and the Ontario Government to save woodland caribou.  Spokesperson Richard Brooks says they'll be bringing their black silhouetted caribou and hour glass.  Greenpeace will meet at Gravelle's constituency office at 10 Monday.

Inflation drops in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay bucked the trend when it came to the inflation rate.  Our rate dropped from 2.8 percent in August to 2.7 percent last month.  The national rate went from 1.7 to 1.9 percent last month. Ontario's rate held steady at 2.9 percent.

Fort Hope declares a state of emergency

The community of Fort Hope has declared a state of emergency after a string of crimes.  The declaration was made after 3 murders, a string of arsons, animal mutilations and a number other violent crimes have plagued the community this year.  Chief Lewis Nate says they had no choice but to ask for government help.

City police arrest woman after hit and run

A 22 year old woman has been charged in connection with yesterday's early morning hit and run.  Traffic Sergeant Glen Porter says the driver turned her self into police yesterday evening.  An 18 year old girl is in hospital in serious condition after she was hit by a car while walking across Leslie street just before 3 o'clock.  Porter says the victim is making progress.

Local Union unhappy with the Canadian Wheat Board

A local union president is taking aim at the Canadian Wheat Board.  Tom Hamilton of the United Steel Workers Union says the CWB is favouring one grain elevator over others in Thunder Bay.  Hamilton says the vast majority of grain is going through the Mission Island terminal while the other 5 elevators are left with the scraps.  The CWB claims they are just finding the best prices for producers.