Seismic activity not on the rise according to LU Professor

It may seem like earthquake activity is on the rise, but according to a Lakehead University Geologist that isn't the case. Doctor Phil Fralick says when big events happen, media starts reporting other minor and often very common minor events, when normally the minor events are ignored. Fralick says even an earthquake the size of the Japanese quake isn't that uncommon with 4 in the past 40 years.  

Thunder Bay woman's parents caught in quake

With the death toll in Japan rising at least one Thunder Bay resident is hoping her parents are safe and sound. Hiroko Bekki-Moller's parents live near the heavily hit area near Sendai.  She says she has tried calling and sent e-mails, but phone lines are out and for now she has to wait and hope.  There has been more than 50 aftershocks many registering higher than magnitude 7.

St Patrick students suspended

A group of students at St Patrick High School were sent home after sporting pro choice stickers.  The students were protesting a pro life event at the school and were sent home yesterday when they refused to remove the choice stickers taped to their shirts.  Reports say 35 students were given 2 day suspensions for wearing the green tape.

Schaeffer inquest to wrap up

The Levi Schaeffer Inquest is set to wrap up today.  The Peterborough man was shot by OPP in 2009 after allegedly pulling a knife on officers who were investigating a stolen boat at Osnaburgh Lake.  Schaeffer's mother Ruth took the stand yesterday and said he was diagnosed with a personality disorder.  Constable Chris Wood fired the shots that killed Schaeffer and says he had no other choice.

Judicial inquiry ordered into local jury rolls

The top court in the province, the Court of Appeal,  is ordering a judicial inquiry into how juries are selected in Thunder Bay.  Specifically,  why First Nations don't have a chance of being part of a jury.  It was all sparked by a complaint when it was discovered that aboriginal people were not represented in two coroners inquests that involved the deaths of two native people.   The first was the jailhouse death of Jacy Pierre, a 27-year-old who died of an overdose and the death of 15 year old Reggie Bushie.  

Local beekeeper calls world situation a crisis

A Thunder Bay beekeeper is applauding a move by the United Nations to restore world bee habitats. The world agency is urging governments to offer incentives to farmers.   Barry Tabor, the vice-president of the Beekeepers Association agrees it's no less than a crisis.  He says we can't lose honey and native bees because they pollinate a third of our crops.  Tabor says Thunder Bay remains fortunate that bees here have not been hit with diseases or mites

No rescue required

It's not only dangerous, but it's illegal to walk on harbour ice.  But don't tell that to a couple of people who were spotted there Thursday afternoon.   Fire officials had their hovercraft out at the marina to find the people, but by the time they arrived there they were nowhere to be found.

Mob expert says locals are breaking no law

It's not likely the 7 people from Thunder Bay reported to be named in an Italian warrant will ever be extradited to Italy. Antonio Nicaso, a Mafia expert, says while the men may be accused by the Italians of alleged association to the ‘Ndrangheta, they aren't breaking the law in Canada.  That's because he says being associated with the Mafia is not something that is recognized in our criminal code. Nicaso says the only way they would ever be arrested is if they go to Italy

Strategic plan gets Johnson's support

One city councillor is saying it's about time. Rebecca Johnson says she's happy there is now a 10 to 20 year strategic plan in the works for the city. Johnson says it's the first time that she can remember than such a plan has been contemplated. She believes it's much better than lurching from term to term.  The public will have it's say on the plan at open houses next month.

Merger may not happen says local expert

The proposed merger of the Toronto and London Stock exchanges is getting a rough ride. Several Canadian banks have come out against the idea. That doesn't bode well for the marriage according to Thunder Bay investment expert Blake Cameron. He says with 4 of the big banks likely to oppose the deal, it will decrease the likelihood the whole deal will go through. Cameron says a possible federal election may also play into the deal being nixed

Rotary back with house lottery

The Rotary Club is back with it's annual house lottery. Organizer Gordie Garriock  says like always thousands of dollars will be doled out to local charities.This year the home being offered is worth 350 thousand dollars and is located in Sherwood Estates

Local man joins class action suit

Students who attended a government run school for the blind 50 years ago are now speaking out. They're launching a 225 million dollar lawsuit claiming abuse. One of the names on that statement of claim is Thunder Bay's Robert Seed.  He says the abuse suffered by the students was similar to what was suffered by in the native residential schools.  None of the claims have been proven in court

Rafferty's bill passes 2nd reading

Another hurdle has been passed for John Rafferty's workers severance termination bill.  It passed second reading in the house of commons by a 164-119 margin.  The Bill will protect severance and termination pay in the case of a company bankruptcy.

House fire on highway

A portion of Highway 11/17 was reduced to one lane after a house being moved on a transport truck caught fire.  Crews from the Conmee Station along with MTO crews dealt with the blaze that happened last night about 2 kilometres east of highway 102.  No one was hurt.

Local businessman denies involvement in Ndrangheta

There is total denial from a Thunder Bay man who is one of several named in a warrant by police in Italy. The warrant accuses Rocco Minnella of being a part of the organized crime group called the Ndrangheta. As the owner of a local business Minnella says he would never jeopardize his family or friends by being involved in such a group

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Destroyed truck was due for replacement

The city is not sweating the loss of a garbage truck in a Tuesday night fire. The blaze at the Mountdale yard facility completely destroyed the 200 thousand dollar vehicle. However the city's Mike Miron says it just so happens that truck was ready to be retired in May and replaced with a new one.  Miron says the loss only means the city will be without a spare garbage truck until May.

SIU clears Dryden police

Dryden police are breathing a sigh of relief.   They have been exonerated in the death of a man who became sick in a police jail cell. The province's Special Investigation's Unit says the man was taken into custody after being released from hospital last May for being too drunk. He became sick in jail  and was taken back to the hospital, where he passed away.  The S-I-U says the cause of his death isn't known, but police did nothing wrong while he was in custody.

Cancer prevention program launched

The Health Sciences Centre is back with an in-your-face campaign to promote colon cancer prevention. Households will be getting a screening kit in the mail.  There is also an intense advertising program planned.  It's designed to get people over 50 to get tested for the disease. Thunder Bay is below the provincial average when it comes to colon cancer screening.

Thunder Bay men wanted by Italian police

7 Thunder Bay men have arrest warrants issued against them by Italian Authorities.  The warrants are part of the latest crack down on the Ndrangheta.  Officials with the Department of Justice declined to comment because this is a matter of extradition.  Thunder Bay police spokesperson Chris Adams says there has been no formal request from Italian authorities at this time.

Power back on at LU

Lakehead University along with a stretch of Oliver Road was without power this morning.  Officials at Thunder Bay Hydro say an equipment failure caused the outage that kept the school in the dark for most of the morning.  The cause of the failure isn't known at this time.

Gas prices rising again

Expect another stiff shot to the wallet today if you have to fill your tank. Prices are on the rise again and already some stations in the city are posting regular at a buck 33 a litre. The increase is being blamed on oil prices sky rocketing in the wake of Libyan Civil war.

Fire destroys garbage truck

A garbage truck was destroyed after a fire inside a city owned garage.  Fire officials say the blaze started in the truck just after 7 last night on Mountdale Road.  There was minimal damage to the building and no one was hurt.

Outbreak at Grandview Lodge

There's an illness outbreak at a local seniors residence.  Officials at the Health Unit say Grandview Lodge is restricting access to the C-Wing of the facility until further notice.  

Housing starts slow in Thunder Bay

Data released from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation suggests that housing starts in Thunder Bay were lower than usual during the month of February. Only one single-detached unit was built throughout the  month which was slightly below the ten year average for the month.

Salvation Army Centre hit by fire

Operations for the homaeless at the Salvation Army Centre on North Cumberland are back to normal after a Monday fire. Executive Director Merv Halvorsen says the blaze broke out in the laundry room of the basement in a dryer.  Halvorsen says half the food supply at the centre was lost as a result of the smoke damage. He says the laundry is now being contracted out everyday.  No one was hurt.

Hearing for Sgt. Mauro in October

A Police Service Act hearing for Sgt.Jim Mauro is set to take place in the fall.  He has been charged in connection with allegations that in October of 2009,  during an arbitration hearing,  he provided the arbitrator with a letter of support which appeared to be signed by Keith Hobbs.  At the time Hobbs was the president of the Thunder Bay Police Association.  The misconduct charges allege that Hobbs did not sign the letter.   The hearing will take place starting October 13th at a location yet to be decided.  Mauro is suspended from the city police service until then.

Planning Board pumped about policy institute

The North Superior Workforce Planning Board is taking some credit for the announcement of a Northern Policy Institute. Now that it's been included in the province's new Northern Growth Plan Executive Director Marg Scott couldn't be happier. Scott says the non- profit group has been working on the concept of a policy institute for about 5 years.

Board considers re-naming Selkirk Auditorium

The Catholic School Board is pondering changing the name of the Selkirk Auditorium at St. Patrick's High School.  One suggestion is to re-name it after long time trustee Phil Colosimo.   The idea is meeting with some resistance.  Trustees have not made a final decision.

Patient falls reduced in the Northwest

There's praise for health care facilities in Northwestern Ontario from a top provincial official. Dr. Ben Chan, CEO of the Ontario Health Quality Council notes that institutions in Kenora, Dryden and Red Lake have reduced patient falls by half in the past year. Chan says that frees up beds in Thunder Bay since patients don't have to come here for surgery. Chan is in Thunder Bay to talk to health care providers.

City Police working on new business plan

Thunder Bay police are gearing up for a new business plan. Deputy Chief JP Levesque says the plan will outline the focus for the next three years as directed by the Police Services Board.  Mayor Keith Hobbs sits on the board and says he will be pushing for a shift towards community policing.  A survey was conducted of both the public and members of Thunder Bay police to get feedback.

Missing votes isn't a big deal

MP absences are in the spot light in Ottawa after Michael Ignatieff took heat for missing 135 votes during this Parliament. Our local MP's are near the middle of the pack with Bruce Hyer and John Rafferty missing 33 and 26 votes respectively. Rafferty says he believes Mr Ignatieff is taking unfair criticism because being a leader he could have had other important duties to attend to.  In comparison NDP leader Jack Layton missed 17 votes, Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe missed 20 and Stephen Harper missed 74 votes.

2011 budget passed

Council has passed the 2011 budget.  But, before it was ratified councillors decided to keep 160 thousand dollars in the 2011 budget for road work slated for Shuniah Street.  Hobbs voted against the move saying the road doesn't need to be widened it needs to be paved.  The 2011 budget will result in a 1.27 percent increase in property taxes.

Gridlock ideas brought to council

A Health Science Centre nurse is speaking out about patient gridlock in the emergency room.  Alana Bishop wrote a letter suggesting ways the hospital might be able to free up 52 beds by creating a facility that would deal solely with mental health, alcohol and drug addiction cases.  Bishop says she's dissapointed she didn't receive a response to her ideas from the Health Minister.  Bishop thinks the former Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital could serve as a Mental health centre and has brought the idea up with St. Joseph's Care Group as well.

Council won't sell land to Badanai Motors

Thunder Bay City Council won't give up it's ownership of the Court Street extension.  The President of Badanai Motors has asked council for a second time to sell it to him; with most of council voting against the move Monday night.  City Planner Mark Smith says they don't want to sell the land because of the city's underground infrastructure. Badanai currently leases the land from the City and says he hasn't decided on whether or not he will continue to do that.

Council meets with TTC

Members of the Thunder Bay City Council are feeling better about Bombardier's transit contract after speaking with the head of the TTC.  Councillor Joe Virdiramo says they also spoke to Mayor Rob Ford about it.  The city spoke with Ford and the TTC while attending the Good Roads conference last week in Toronto.

Awareness Walk for Jordan Wabasse

Two Big Trout Lake residents will be walking from their community to Webeque First Nation to raise awareness about Jordan Wabasse.  Wabasse has been missing for a month and was last seen getting off a city bus in Westfort.  You can follow the 500 kilometer walk through the "Help Find Jordan Wabasse" facebook page.

Charges laid in union fraud case

Thunder Bay OPP are releasing details of a fraud case in Nipigon.  Sgt. Shelley Garr says it involves a 64 year old man from that community.  Wayne Asselin was charged after a member of the Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Union came to the police in December of 2008 after they noticed over 175 thousand dollars was missing from their accounts.  Asselin was the financial secretary of the union.

Snowfall=accidents

Police are reporting several accidents since the snow started falling last night. City police say there have been at least 8 with one of them resulting in minor injuries. The OPP say there were at least 3 in the area this morning. In one case a driver was sent to hospital as a precaution when a SUV went in the ditch in Shuniah. There was also a accident involving a school bus which didn't have students in it on Highway 102.

Veneruz dies at 81

A former Catholic School Board trustee calls it the end of an era. That's how Jolene Kemp describes the death of long time trustee Francis Veneruz  at the age of 81. Kemp says as chair, Veneruz guided the board through changing times.  She says he had the vision to make sure the school system had the means to operate for the future.   His funeral takes place Wednesday at St. Patrick's Cathedral

More gold exploration in the northwest

An already busy mining activity in the Rainy River district is about to get busier. Catalina Metals is paying 146-thousand dollars plus shares to acquire 18-thousand acres located along the same belt that's hosting the gold-rich finds north of Barwick and at Cameron Lake near Nestor Falls. Catalina is now planning an exploration program for the area.

NOACC praises growth plan

The Northwestern Associated Chambers of Commerce is another organization on board with the Northern Growth Plan.  President Barry Streib says the proposed Northern Policy Institute is welcome by the chambers. He says it's exciting for Northern Ontario to conduct research on business, economic and social issues. 
While critics say the plan has no substance, Streib believes the framework is there to guide growth.

Civil War grips Libya

With more confirmed clashes between rebels and loyalist forces it appears civil war has engulfed Libya. Lakehead University Political Science Professor Laure Paquette says the west is mainly staying out but could be providing indirect support to the rebels by sending in special forces units to make contact with different rebel factions. Paquette says as far as military action by the west it has been ruled out.

Wilson wins regional spelling bee

Margarita Wilson is this year's champion of the Canspell Regional Spelling Bee.  She out spelled 35 other participants on route to the victory.  The grade 7 Nor'Wester View Student will move onto the National Championship's in Toronto later this month. 

Thunderwolves Bastketball team off to Nationals

The day after the OUA championship the Thunderwolves Men's Basketball team has turned their eyes towards the CIS national championships.  The Wolves have learned they'll battle Trinity Western in their first game Friday afternoon.  The winner will advance to the semi finals.  The Thunderwolves earned the fourth spot at the tournament with a huge upset win over Carleton Saturday 77-62.  It was Carleton's first loss this season

Snow today but warm tomorrow

Its snowing today but starting tomorrow we'll be getting our first real taste of spring. Our Meteorologist Bill Laidlaw says we will get about 10 to 15 centimetres of snow when all is said and done and then warm air will move in and push temperatures above the freezing point for most of this week.  Laidlaw says the snow should taper off this afternoon.

Gilbert nomination offical

It's official: retired Lakehead University president Fred Gilbert will be the Progressive Conservative candidate for the Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP seat. Gilbert will be going up against Liberal MPP Bill Mauro. The NDP are planning to pick their candidate for the riding later this month.

Nurse wants to streamline emergency care

A Shuniah Councillor thinks she has the soloution to a sometimes crowded emergency room at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Alana Bishop says an emergency facility dedicated specifically to addiction and mental health related admissions would help free up beds. Bishop --who's also a registered nurse--will pitch the idea to city council Monday night.

New crossing for Lakehead proposed

A new Oliver Road traffic light is being proposed to help  L-U students reach the Health Sciences Centre on foot.

The new light would make it easier for students living in residence to get medical attention. Also, nursing students frequently need to cross back and forth between both locations

LUSU president Mike Snoddon along with representative from Lakehead will present the idea to city council at Monday's meeting.

Board vice-chair defends tuition hike

With increased tuition fees at Lakehead University now set in stone, the vice chair of the Board of Governors is defending the move. Cam Clark says it was necessary because the institution is facing rising costs.  He says the board tried to find a balance between affordable education for those students with few resources and a fiscally responsible budget.  Clark suggests the increase was regrettable but necessary

Mayor says list shows need for fewer staff

The latest list of city workers that made 100 thousand dollars last year has the mayor on alert. Keith Hobbs says he's working to cut the overall budget for salaries. The mayor says he and other councillors are serious about starting the staff reduction process through attrition. The Sunshine List from the province shows that 80 members of the police and fire services are on it. Hobbs attributes that to the "terrible shift" that they work and he hopes to change that to reduce overtime rates.