Botanical Conservatory closed

Thunder Bay's Centennial Botanical Conservatory is closed for two months time because of glass that has fallen from the ceiling. General Manager Michael Smith says the closure takes effect at noon today. City staff will take safety precautions while they work at the Conservatory to maintain the plants. A feasibility study on the facility will come before Council this Spring.

Dilico holds addiction conference

Dilico Family Services is trying to empower area First Nation leaders with knowledge on how to help their residents dealing with addictions.  A 2 day conference on drug addiction kicked off this morning in Thunder Bay and Spokesperson Rose Pittis says they've provided conference goers with takeaway tools.  The conference will wrap up tomorrow at the Victoria Inn.

Kidnapping at the Greyhound

Police are investigating a kidnapping at the Greyhound last night. Staff Seargent Frank Earley says two men grabbed another that was standing inside the bus terminal. They forced him into a waiting truck; shortly after a man was reported going door to door in the White Park Road area asking for help. Police located the two men in the truck at the Can-Op gas bar on Oliver Road. They're charged with kidnapping, assault, possession of stolen property and possession of a controlled substance.

Paterson Park Could be revitalized

A grant could mean some updating in the near future for Paterson Park.  The City has received 30 thousand dollars from the 8-80 Cities program and the Provincial Government and is looking at Paterson Park as a target for revitalization.  Councillor Mark Bentz says Paterson Park is a gateway to the south downtown but is showing its age and needs a face lift.

Manshield Construction will finish off Phase 1 of waterfront

Manshield Construction is getting the call to complete the remainder of work on Phase 1 of the waterfront.  City Council approved a proposal that will hand the company the 3.2 million dollar contract.  City Manager Tim Commisso says the city prefers a tender method to award contracts on a competitive basis but in a case like this it makes sense to award the contract to the company already on scene.  Manshield is also the contractor who will be building the private portion of the project.

Interim Operating Model in place for Waterfront

City Council is happy with the current operating model being used at the waterfront.  Law Makers approved the interim operating plan Monday night and Community and Emergency Services Manager Greg Alexander says it will costs 690 thousand dollars until the private sector completes its side of the project.  He says when the hotel and condos are complete the city should turn a nice profit on the waterfront but there isn't a timeline on when the developer will begin work.

Local company fined by MNR

A Thunder Bay company is paying a hefty fine for building an airstrip on crown land.  Marten Falls Logistics, cut down 5 and a half hectares of forest north of Geraldton without provincial approval.  The company was fined 27 thousand dollars cutting down the trees and leaving them there. 

No injuries in fire

No one is injured following a fire on the two hundred block of Poplar Street Monday afternoon. Fire Platoon Chief Kim Hutch says it happened in the back yard of a two story house when some wood caught fire. Damage is minimal and the cause isn't known.

MP's warn of riding changes

Our local Members of Parliament are trying to start a grassroots awareness campaign about riding re-distribution in Canada. John Rafferty predicts that Northern Ontario may lose a seat before the next election as a result of it. Rafferty says, among other things, larger ridings in the north would make them more difficult for MP's to represent.

Police arrest one in car theft

A 15 year old teen is charged with stealing a car from a North Marks Street home over the weekend.  Constable Julie Tilbury says they chased the vehicle along a section of the Rosslyn Road and later found the vehicle abandoned on Confederation Drive.  The teen is charged with possession of stolen property, dangerous driving, flight from police and breach of probation.

Police targeting underage drinking

City police are cracking down on people buying alcohol for teenagers.  Officers charged 5 people outside the Thunder Centre LCBO for buying liquor for people under 19 years old.  Police say they are trying to cut down the amount of underage drinking in the intercity area. 

Jury sees graphic evidence at murder trial

The Andre Wareham second degree murder trial is into it's second week.  The trial jury looked at autopsy photos of William Atkins on Monday.  They were given detailed explanations by pathologist Dr. Nicholas Escott,  who noted Atkin's body had five stab wounds, three to the abdomen and one each to his arm and leg.  Dr. Escott says the cause of death was all the blood he lost as the result of those stab wounds.  Wareham is charged with second degree murder in Atkin's 2010 death.

Attawapiskat house trailers

Attawapiskat may have to wait a bit longer before it gets two new house trailers it's been promised.  Officials are concerned the sites chosen for the trailers haven't been prepared yet.  They're worried the road to the remote community will close before the trailers and building supplies arrive.  The First Nation is battling a severe housing crisis and declared a state of emergency last fall.

Man Pleads Guilty to Arson

The Ontario Court of Justice has sentenced 45 year-old Daniel Paul Smith with 7 years in custody excluding his time served at the District Jail. The Thunder Bay man plead guilty in connection to a fire on Robertson Street in November of last year.

Hockey Day in Canada hits Thunder Bay

Its Hockey Day in Canada and Thunder Bay is taking part in the festivities.  The National Hockey Leagues Players Association with the support of our local NHL players is donating 120 sets of hockey equipment to 11 minor hockey clubs in the area.  NHLPA Spokespeople say the equipment worth over 60 thousand dollars will allow a number of kids who wouldn't normally get a chance to play hockey, to lace em up.  The festivities kicked off yesterday with a banquet in Murrilo. 

Marriott eyes Thunder Bay

Looks like a  new hotel is coming to Thunder Bay.   City planner Robert Eady says Marriott Hotels wants to buy about 1.6 hectares of land next to the Superstore to build 142 Marriott Town Place suites.   Total project cost is about 18 million dollars.  The land is also expected to include a Harvey's Restaurant along with an Earls or a Milestone Restaurant and a convenience store.

Daredevils ski the city streets

Here's a video of some local skiiers turning Thunder Bay's Streets into a freestyle course.  The video has been making waves on Twitter and could be on the verge of going viral. 

Population drop doesn't faze Brown

Atikokan's Mayor Dennis Brown is putting on his best face in the wake of a census report showing a 15 per cent drop in the towns population. Brown however, sees a positive trend developing as more young people are returning.   Brown adds,  the population can fluctuate with mining activity in the region.

Harvey talks population

No panic from Nipigon's Mayor Richard Harvey over census figures showing the community's  population dropped about 7 per cent.   Harvey says the figures don't take into account some recent factors that indicate more people are moving into the town.

L-U trumpets another research grant

It's research and innovation week at Lakehead University. To kick it off, a Government of Canada science grant of nearly 1 and a half million dollars was given to professor Ellie Prepas for her natural resources study. Prepas says she feels proud working with some of the best young minds in the country on the project which will be funded for five years.

Mauro on ORNGE

Members of Ontario's Opposition Parties continue to dog the Government over it's handling of the Province's air ambulance service. Some members of the Opposition have suggested the Government should allow private companies to operate the service. MPP Bill Mauro disagrees. The Province recently put a not-for-profit air ambulance coordinator in place after firing former CEO Chris Mazza.

OPP survey

How do you feel about the level of policing in your community?  That's the question the OPP is trying to answer.  Sergeant Shelley Garr says they have hired a consultant to conduct a Community Satisfaction Survey.  Garr says the telephone survey is confidential and will be used to help develop OPP business plans for each of the detachments in Northwestern Ontario.

Di Matteo talks population

A Lakehead University professor is not surprised Northwestern Ontario has less people than it did 5-years ago. Livo Di Matteo says its a reflection of the state of the region's forest industry. Di Matteo says while urban communities lost people, several First Nations communities experienced growth.

Rickford on Aboriginal education

The Federal Government is promising to take a good look at a report on Aboriginal Education.  The Federally appointed panel released its final report earlier this week.  Parliamentary Assistant for Aboriginal Affairs, Greg Rickford says they've already committed a lot of money towards improving the aboriginal education system.  The National Aboriginal Education Panel visited a number of communities across the country last year, including Rat Portage.

MP begins budget town halls tonight

MP Bruce Hyer is going on the road. He'll be hosting a series of town hall meetings to give taxpayers a chance to discuss what they'd like to see in the federal budget. Tonight it's Thunder Bay. It takes place at the Prince Arthur Hotel starting at 7:30.   The town halls will also be held in Marathon, Nipigon, Greenstone and Terrace Bay. 

Police nab suspect in Shoreline Stabbing

A 22 year old man is being charged in Wednesday's stabbing in front of the Shoreline Hotel. Constable Julie Tilbury says they picked the man up yesterday when they were called to a south side home about an assault. Tilbury says he's charged with assault with a weapon and breach of probation.

Petro Can Gas Bar Robbery

Police are releasing pictures of the man who robbed the Petro Can Gas Bar on Dawson Road Wednesday morning. Constable Julie Tilbury says the man had his hood pulled up to hide his face. He approached the till and pulled a syringe out of his pocket and demanded money. He's described as being in his early 20's with a medium build. He was wearing a two tone grey winter jacket with a hood, blue jeans and white runners.

Water Rate debate rages

City Councillor Larry Hebert is echoing many residents thoughts on the escalating water rates.  Hebert says they've asked administration to consider a lower rate for this year.  Some Councillors would like to see a 3.4 percent increase rather than a 6.7 percent one.  A report with the lower water rate will come back to council in the future.  Meanwhile Councillor Rebecca Johnson says one way or another the rate will go up, putting it off will just cost the city more money in the long run because the difference will have to be debentured. Johnson says it might be better to just take the hit now.

Murder trial to hear from last crown witness

The prosecution is about to wrap up its case in the Andre Wareham murder trial.  The crown says it will be calling it's last witness on Monday. Wareham is facing a second degree murder charged in the stabbing death in 2009 of William Atkins. Wareham is pleading self defense. In a police video played at the trial Wareham is heard telling an officer shortly after he was charged, that just before his arrest, he was getting his life together saying he stopped drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and marijuana. He also says he was throwing himself into his two jobs. He said " I wanted to re-invent Andre Wareham."

Raid nets Oxys

Police efforts continue to stem the flow of illegal prescription drugs in the city.   A raid at a south side city hotel on Wednesday netted police about 32 thousand dollars worth of Oxycodone.  Police say they also seized a small amount of Cocaine and almost 12 thousand dollars in cash.   They say a 22 year old woman and 38 year old man were arrested and charged.

Rafferty bids gun registry farewell

Thunder Bay MP John Rafferty is happy to see the long gun registry debate come to an end.  The final vote for the controversial bill is expected to come to a close on Wednesday.  Rafferty says there are so many other issues the Federal Government should be focusing on instead of the gun registry.  Rafferty says he hasn't had any further blow back from his party over his recent voting on the gun registry.

Census data for Kenora

New census data shows the population of Kenora fell below the national growth rate over the last five years. Statistics Canada released the first batch of numbers from the 2011 census this morning and the population of Kenora increased to about 15 thousand, 348 people.  Vincent Dale is an analyst with Stats Can and says the city's growth rate was below both the national and provincial average.  Stats Can says Kenora's population grew by 171 people in the past five years.

Rickford on gun registry vote

A bill to scrap the federal long gun registry is speeding its way through the House of Commons. Earlier this week the Harper Government decided to limit debate on the bill. Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford expects the bill could pass third and final reading as early as next Wednesday.

Mauro on Toronto's endorsement of LRT

Thunder Bay MPP Bill Mauro calls Toronto's transit plans a moving target.  Mauro is happy to hear the City recently endorsed the light rail transit plan.  The Provincial Government's money for the project is tied to Toronto Council's endorsement of the transit plan.  Our Bombardier Plant is in line to build the light rail vehicles.

Dewar gets support

There's Northwestern Ontario support for Paul Dewar's bid to lead the federal NDP. Maurice Grinstead, the riding association president in Thunder Bay Superior North, says Dewar's recent visit to the city cinched it for him.

Mayor not sweating census numbers

Mayor Keith Hobbs is not pulling the alarm bell now that census numbers show our population dropped by just over half a per cent over five years. Hobbs says the key to increasing the population is simple...attract jobs. The Mayor, does however, think the census numbers may be inaccurate and may not reflect what has been really going on to attract more people here.

Housing stats down last month

January was a quiet month for new housing starts.  Canada Mortgage and Housing stats show Thunder Bay had half as many starts this year compared to January of 2011.  There were 3 starts last month which was below the 10 year average. 

Trudeau says more jails not the answer

Margaret Trudeau  says that prisons are not the place to house people with mental illness. The former wife of Pierre Trudeau spoke out against the Harper government's new crime bill to students at Confederation College Wednesday afternoon, saying more jails are not the answer.  Trudeau has spent the last five years speaking on the struggles she had with depression.

Fire and Rescue pick up a pair on the harbour ice

No charges are being laid after a pair of people walked across the harbour to the break wall.  Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue Platoon Chief John Mill says the ice boat was used to pick up the pair and take them back to shore.  Mill says its illegal to go on the harbour ice and the two were given a warning.

Police investigating hit and run

Thunder Bay Police are investigating a hit and run.  Officers say a pickup truck ran the stop sign at Windemere and Van Norman Monday afternoon and hit a car.  No one was hurt but police are looking for the grey Dodge Ram with front end damage.

First Nations sign MOU

A group of eight Northwestern Ontario First Nations have signed an agreement which they hope will lead to more affordable electricity. Brian Davey of the Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund says the major priority is to deal with a fuel shortage.  The deal was signed in Thunder Bay Wednesday

Police looking into stabbing

Police are looking for two people involved in last night's stabbing.  Officials say two men approached a parked vehicle outside the Shoreline Hotel and stabbed the man inside.  Officers say they were known to each other.  No arrests have been made and the victim is in fair condition in hospital.

Stats Can reports T.BAY population decrease

Statistics Canada is reporting Thunder Bay's population decreased by 0.7 per cent since the last census in 2006. City Manager Tim Commisso says there are a number of reasons for the decline including the drop in the economy, and having more deaths than births in the City. The City's population last May came in at one hundred eight thousand, three hundred fifty-nine.

Murray's speech called a PR stunt

The President of the Lakehead University Student Union calls the Provincial Government's 30 percent tuition rebate program a PR stunt.  Mike Snoddon wasn't impressed with College and University Minister Glen Murray's visit to Thunder Bay this morning.  The LUSU President says if the Minister was serious about making post secondary education more affordable he would freeze tuition rates. Snoddon says the rebate does not include all students and only helps high school students who come from middle income families.

Public gets their chance to talk budget

Council is being asked some tough questions about the upcoming budget.  The public had its chance to give input during Tuesday night's consultation meeting.  Resident Frank Armiento thinks administration is wasting money by spending money on the corporate review process.  He says the city should be able to find ways to save money themselves without hiring consultants.  Chamber of Commerce President Harold Wilson says the Chamber supports increased spending for infrastructure but savings need to be found to prevent tax increases.  Mayor Hobbs was happy to hear from residents and thinks for the most part people want to see the roads taken care of in the city but its clear people are not happy with tax increase.  Council will be back at it Wednesday night where its expected the water rate will take centre stage. 

Government minister to visit

The province's Minister of Colleges and Universities is coming to the city tomorrow.  Glen Murray is going to be at Lakehead University at 8:30 in the morning to discuss the McGuinty government's 30 per cent tuition rebate program.  A media release says he will be here to encourage more students to take advantage of the taxpayer funded initiative.

Syria: Worse before it gets better

A Lakehead University political science expert predicts the violence in Syria will continue and the body count will get higher. Laure Paquette says it's anyone's guess how it will end, but says it will go on a few more months at least.   Paquette says the death count will escalate since the Syrian government has moved from bullets to artillery shells

Local doc leads LHIN program

The North West Local Health Integration Network is adding to its team. CEO Laura Kokochinski says they've hired Dr. Richard Almond as the LHIN's Primary Care Lead. The Thunder Bay physician will work with doctors across the Region to ensure the highest level of care is being received. Almond says primary care is the backbone of any health care system and stresses he will help move the system to a more patient centred, cost effective one.

Conference bound

A major mining conference in London, England will have a Northwestern Ontario flavour to it. Rainy River Resources and Osisko Mining will be among 18-Canadian companies making presentations at the conference this month. Both are actively involved in exploration projects in this region. The conference attracts potential investors from around the world.

24 hour cardiac care

Thunder Bay's Regional Health Sciences Centre is embarking on a new way of treating cardiac patients.  They've teamed up with ORNGE ambulance, Superior North EMS and hospital staff to ensure patients can receive round the clock angioplasty care.  Cardiac Doctor Andrea McDougall says air ambulance will also help bring patients to Thunder Bay to have their arteries opened.

NAN wants more funding for schools

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation is out with a report on the critical underfunding of First Nation schools.  Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose says the current funding system is inadequate and calls it a crisis.  Waboose says the Federal Government needs to start matching education funds for First Nations at the same level the Province funds public school boards.  Waboose says education under the Indian Act has failed remote First Nation communities.