Mac's Mart robbed

Thunder Bay Police are looking for a suspect in an early morning robbery of the James Street Mac's Mart.  A man made off with a small amount of cash and cigarettes.  Police describe him as six feet tall with an average build.  He was wearing a white jacket with red on the shoulder.  The suspect's face was covered with black cloth.  Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

Gun range still on the drawing board

A new gun range in the city is still far from being a reality. City administration is to bring back a report on a request by the local Fish and Game Association. City Councillor Paul Pugh says he has his own concerns about the proposed gun range in the Government Road area. He's received phone calls from people worried about having a gun range in their neighbour and even possible health concerns. Pugh calls them serious issues that will have to be addressed. The Association is asking the city for over 600 thousand dollars to put towards the project.

Blues Festival line-up announced

The acts for the annual Thunder Bay Blues Festival are now confirmed.   Organizer Trevor Hurtig says it's going to be one of the best line-ups yet.  He says it includes the 2012 Grammy Award winning Tedeschi Trucks Band, .38 Special, Jonny Lang and Sass Jordan. Hurtig says tickets go on sale on Saturday morning at 9:30. The festival takes place the weekend of July 6th.

Tony Clement is coming to town

A Federal Cabinet Minister is making a stop in Thunder Bay.  Minister Responsible for Fednor Tony Clement will arriving in the City Monday Morning.  Members of his staff say he will be making a few announcements, including some through Fednor. 

Elections Canada stays tight lipped

Elections Canada says it will not comment on news that its investigators will be in the city next week as part of the so called robocalls scandal.  Reports indicate that they will be questioning staffers at a Thunder Bay call centre operated by Responsive Marketing Group which was hired by the Conservatives during the last federal election.  There are accusations that automated phone calls went out to Liberal supporters in various ridings announcing what,  in some cases were,  phony polling locations.

Fire Marshal looking into fatal Kenora fire

The Ontario Fire Marshal's Office is in Kenora looking into a fatal fire.  The Blaze happened at a house early yesterday morning and fire crews located a 56 year old man inside the residence.  James Rutherford has been identified as the deceased.

Premier would be open to events centre request

Premier Dalton McGuinty isn't closing the door to possible future funding for an events centre in Thunder Bay. Speaking in the city today McGuinty said his government will be open to any request and has a responsibility to give it careful consideration.  McGuinty says even in tough times the government plans to continue with infrastructure funding.  On other topics the premier said the government wants to continue to work with First Nations communities over Oxycontin withdrawal.  On the subject of a proposed two year wage freeze for the province's teachers, he hopes they will give it consideration at the bargaining table for the sake of saving jobs. 

Hobbs in Toronto

Mayor Keith Hobbs is in Toronto today talking with the Toronto Transit Commission's Karen Stintz.  Thunder Bay's Mayor plans to tell the TTC Chair thank you for listening to the City's concerns over the Bombardier light rail vehicle contract with Toronto.  He's also taking part in an International mining conference with Mining Services Manager John Mason.

Red Cross needs more volunteers

The Red Cross is expanding in Thunder Bay and Shuniah. 14 people were recently trained to work in emergency situations in the two communities and Spokesperson Rob Kilgour says more people are needed in Thunder Bay. There are over 20 volunteers and at least 80 are needed to deal with the volume of calls the Red Cross receives. Kilgour points to the recent fires in Shuniah township as to why there is a great need for the Red Cross and it's volunteers.

City and Fort William ready themselves for Ring of Fire

The City and Fort William First Nation are teaming up to create an action plan on how to take advantage of the Ring of Fire.  The plan encompasses the community's need for more industrial land, better infrastructure, and a workforce for future mining projects. Councillor Joe Virdiramo is defending their joint meeting with cabinet ministers at the Good Roads Conference saying money will eventually flow.  Virdiramo feels they had the Cabinet Ministers' ears and funding will eventually come to help with the Ring of Fire project.

Calls for CAO's firing

Thunder Bay's Rick Potter is in the hot seat. As the CAO of the province's air ambulance service, ORNGE, Potter has reportedly admitted he lied about his university credentials. Progressive Conservative critic Frank Klees says it's clear Potter must be fired.  Klees also says it was a mistake for Thunder Bay's Pat Lang to be appointed to the board at ORNGE since she has a past connection to Potter when she was Confederation College President and he was head of the College's Aviation Centre.

2 assaults 1 night

Police are looking into two separate cases of assault on the City's south side last night.  In one situation, an 18 year old man is charged with aggravated assault after a 24 year old man was sent to the hospital with injuries to his face.  Earlier in the evening, a 49 year old man defended himself from a woman with a knife and was sent to the hospital with cuts to his hand.  The man and woman knew each other and she is charged with assault with a weapon.

Event Centre Open House draws big crowds

It's a question of location not of if its needed when you ask the resident of Thunder Bay about the proposed Events Centre.  Residents had a chance to learn more about the facility at Wednesday night's public open house and the question of, if it should be built got a resounding yes from most of those in attendance.  The big question centred on where it should be built with the majority of support going to either Innova Business Park or the Waterfront.  The consultation team will present an initial report to council March 12th.

 

LU BBall Coach getting national attention

The head coach of the Lakehead Thunderwolves Men's Basketball team is becoming a national celebrity.  Scott Morrison was at the centre of a feature story on the Wolves on the Score Sports Network and most recently was the topic of a story in a PEI newspaper article.  Athletics Director Tom Warden says Morrison has done an amazing job with the program, taking it to number 2 in the entire country. 

Its RRSP deadline day

If you didn't make your 2011 RRSP contributions yet then you have until the end of the day.  Blake Cameron of Scotia McLeod says if you head to your financial institution today you might as well make your 2012 contributions as well.  He says the sooner the better because it gets your money working for you sooner.

McGuinty to visit Thunder Bay

Premier Dalton McGuinty is coming to town. His press secretary says McGuinty is scheduled to tour the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute on Thursday.  It's not clear if he will be making an announcement or not.   He is also scheduled to visit the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, however that is reported to be a private tour. 

Cliff's Natural Resources Open House Thursday

Cliff's Natural Resources is holding an open house Thursday night on it's proposed Chromite Project in the Ring of Fire. A consulting company that is helping Cliff's with the Province's Environmental Assessment process will be fielding questions at the event. The open house is from 4 until 8 Thursday at the Travelodge Airlane Hotel. A similar open house is being held next Wednesday night in Geraldton.

MNR big game draws online

The Ministry of Natural Resources hopes they can teach old dog's new tricks.  Hunters can now apply for big game draws for moose, deer and elk online.  Spokesperson John Cooper says mostly the MNR's new automated and online systems for licensing have proven popular.  Draws can be entered online on the Ministry website, through the telephone licensing hotline, and at Service Ontario sites.

City to talk about crossing guards

City Council is going to consider posting a school crossing guard at Woodcrest and Longbow Crescent. Councillor Trevor Giertuga wants a guard to be established at that location as a pilot project until the end of the 2012 school year.  There have been safety complaints from parents in that area.

Council gives out green awards

Thunder Bay City Council is going to openly praise those businesses in our City who actively try to be environmentally friendly. The City is honouring four local institutions in it's 2011 Municipal Green Awards. The Regional Health Sciences Centre, Superior Collegiate, OLG Casino and a French Catholic School are all being honoured. The awards will be handed out at Monday night's council meeting.

Teen girls learn healthy eating habits

Ecole Gron Morgan students are learning about healthy eating habits.  Thunder Bay's Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization is helping teach 20 pre-teen students about active living as away to battle eating disorders.  The program is for Grade 7 and 8 girls, and Vice Principal Jo-Anne Giertuga says they want to expand the program in the future.

Events Centre Open House

Thunder Bay's proposed Event's Centre will be in the spotlight Wednesday night.  An open house is taking place this afternoon from 3 to 9 at the Italian Cultural Centre.  The consulting team will be providing a presentation that will include concept designs for each of the three sites.

Government building trashed

Police are looking for two men they believe are involved in a break and enter at the James Street Government Building last night.  Just after 9:30 Police responded to a call of three men doing damage to the building including breaking large windows and office equipment.  Police have a 29 year old man in custody and are still looking for the other two.  The offices in the building suffered 10 to 15-thousand dollars in damage to computers, TVs, furniture and other office equipment.

Storm no more

It looks like the snow storm we were expecting today has fizzled.  Environment Canada Spokesperson Rob Kuhn says we can expect 2-4 centimeters of snow.  Kuhn adds we will also see strong gusting winds that will blow around existing snow.

Shuniah house fire

A clothes dryer was the cause of a fire at a Birch Beach Road home Tuesday. The home owner smelt smoke and went to the basement to find the clothes dryer on fire in the utility room. Shuniah Fire & Emergency Services managed to keep the fire to the utility room with some smoke damage to the rest of the house. Both occupants and their baby escaped the fire without injuries.

Hyer defends leadership hopefuls over attendance

The NDP Leadership hopefuls are taking some heat for going against some of former leader Jack Layton's words.  During the 2011 Federal Leaders Debate, Layton famously blasted Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff for missing votes in the House of Commons, saying most Canadians, if they don't show up for work, they don't get a promotion.  Meanwhile 5 sitting MP's vying for the leadership have the worst attendance record in the government.  MP Bruce Hyer says they may not be in the house but they are working hard. Hyer says they are learning what people are thinking across the country and that is very important for a leader to know.   Hyer says Ignatieff would intentionally leave so he didn't have to vote on contentious issues.

City's water once again exceeds standards

The City's water quality is looking pretty good.  The City's Environment Manager Kerri Marshall says the city has released the annual water quality report and we came in at or above every provincial standard.  More information can be found on the city's website.

Modified pen flare can shoot a bullet

Thunder Bay police have a new worry. Monday night they seized a pen sized emergency signal flare which was modified to shoot a .22 calibre bullet. Sgt. Rino Belcamino is issuing a warning about the safety of the device. He says not only is it dangerous to the person it's being pointed at, but people who modify it are risking their own safety. Belcamino says police are starting to see such converted devices more and more.

Guilty plea ends trial

A guilty plea to manslaughter means a murder trial in Thunder Bay is over before it began. A Fort Hope man is going to jail for 7 years in connection with the stabbing death of James Waswa in that community in 2010. The plea by William Oskineegish in a Thunder Bay courtroom puts an abrupt end to the trial that was to have started this week. The judge in the case accepted a joint recommendation by the prosecution and the defence on the matter. Immediately after the proceedings were over, there was a moving moment when the mother of the victim, hugged Oskineegish as a sign of forgiveness.

NDP motion calls for Northern Committee

John Vanthof says the NDP is not out to give Southern Ontario less of a voice, he's out to give Northern Ontario a stronger voice. The Timiskaming-Cochrane MPP has table Legislation to create a new Legislative Committee made up of Northern MPP's. Vanthof says the committee would have the power to examine legislation and make recommendations to the Government.

Osisko spending more $

The Hammond Reef gold project near Atikokan will get a lot of attention by Osisko Mining this year.  President Sean Roosen says the company will spend 59-million dollars this year on reserve development, exploration and feasibility studies.  He says they're aiming to have a feasilibty study completed by the end of the year.

Ignace Political Drama

A political drama is brewing in Ignace. Council will hold a special meeting Thursday afternoon to discuss what to do with the Mayor's seat. Lee Kennard submitted a resignation letter to the municipal clerk on January 27th but he decided to withdraw that letter 5-days later. Council declared the office of the Mayor vacant on February 6th, sparking a debate on whether Kennard should return as Mayor. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing says Council handled the situation correctly. Several options now lie on the table including holding a by-election, appointing a councilor as Mayor or appointing Lee Kennard as Mayor.

NAN on education motion

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation is applauding the Federal Government's unanimous vote to improve aboriginal education.  The N-D-P motion calls on the government to put First Nations schools on an equal footing with provincial schools, but is vague on details.  The motion is named after a former youth leader from Attawapiskat First Nation.

Klusterhuis anticipates Global Sticks return

The Mayor of Oliver Paipoonge is happy to hear news that Global Sticks is set to reopen again.  Lucy Klusterhuis says the business is important to her community.  Layoffs were announced at the plant back in October. 

RMG call centre linked to scandal

There's a Thunder Bay connection to the robo calls scandal on Parliament Hill.  The RCMP is probing allegations that voters in dozens of ridings were either misled or discouraged from casting their ballots.  The Responsive Marketing Group call centre in Thunder Bay is linked to some of the calls.  The RCMP have not returned our calls.

Illegal weapon found at mall

Police found an illegal weapon after paying a visit to the Intercity Mall yesterday to investigate a shoplifting incident.  While searching the man, police found a small pen like tool.  They put the modified flare gun down and it fired a .22 calibre round off into the air.  No one was injured and the man is going to be charged with several weapons charges.

Hotel project approved

There's a new hotel coming to Thunder Bay. It didn't take a lot of arm twisting for city councillors to approve the re-zoning for a new hotel to be located on property in front of the Superstore on the Harbour Expressway. A representative of Thompson Centres told councillors Monday night it will be a Marriott Town Place Suites hotel worth about 18 million dollars. Construction is expected to start in April. The project comes with another component which would include a Harvey's Restaurant and construction on that portion could start as early as the summer.

Thunder Bay Principal gets provincial award

A big honour for a local principal.  The Learning Partnership is pegging Johnathon Kakegamic of Franklin Cramarty School as one of Canada's Outstanding Principals for the year.  Kakegamic will receive an honourary Aboriginal Award for his leadership.  The award will be given to Kakegamic Tuesday in Toronto.  As part of the award the 41 principals from across Canada will take part in a week long leadership training program in Toronto.

Ski operators happy with snow

There is at least one industry that is happy with the snow.  Ward Bond of Loch Lomond Ski Hill says its great for skiing.  Bond says this amount of snow will just help keep all the area ski centres going longer.

Police investigating assault

Thunder Bay are investigating after a 27 year old woman was assaulted at the Landmark Inn.  The woman was found in the lobby yesterday morning and officers arrested a 29 year old man who is now facing charges.  The woman was taken to hospital but has since been released.

Outdoor show does well

Calling it a good sign for local businesses, Nancy Milani of the Chamber of Commerce says the weekend outdoor show attracted close to 16 thousand people and calls it a good sign for local businesses.  She hopes to keep the momentum going into next year.

More snow possible this week

Weather forecasters are saying we received up to 18 centimetres of snow in Sunday's storm.  Meteorologist Jeff Coulson says it depends on where you live. He says the airport officially recorded 12 centimetres while some of Environment Canada's volunteer observers in the outlying areas recorded  to 18 centimetres.  Coulson says another system is being tracked in the United States that could bring us more snow on Wednesday.

Big plowing job ahead

City streets are now being plowed after yesterday's snowstorm. City Road's manager Brad Adams says it's in full swing with all the main routes finished. He says they're now moving onto the side streets. Sidewalks are also being plowed.  Adams says all streets should be completed in three days with all sidewalks opened in five days.

Two people vying for Dryden seat

It's early but the Dryden Council by-election is in full swing. Former Councilor Gwen Kurz has declared her candidacy and says she's gained some useful skills during her time away from Council Chambers.  Former Police Chief Shayne MacKinnon is also in the running and he is banking on his experience. One Council seat is available and the mail-in vote is May 14th.

Doctor woes in Rainy River

The Mayor of Rainy River is headed to Toronto this week looking for help in her community's search for more doctors.Mayor Deb Ewald says the meeting comes as the community's lone doctor has announced plans to end his practice this April.Ewald says she was hoping to meet directly with Health Minister Deb Matthews in Toronto, but instead has a session with her Parliamentary Assistant.

The digging out begins

It's clean up time.  The last 24 hours have brought us our first snowstorm of the winter season.   All highways in the region are open .  Highway 527 was the only roadway closed because of the storm but has since re-opened.   City Transit buses were hauled off the streets during the height of the storm last night and are running this morning, but manager Brad Loroff says expect some delays.  Police were asking people to stay off the roads so the plows could do their job.  Major roadways have been plowed overnight, but many side streets are not.   As for schools.....all school buses  are cancelled for the day.   Rural schools are closed...city schools are open for working parents who want to leave their child at school for the day.   The Thunder Bay Christian School is also closed.

Police recommend you stay off the roads

Both Thunder Bay city police and the OPP are asking people to stay off the roads and highways if they don't have to travel. So far no highways have been closed but the OPP say that visibility and snow covered roads are a concern. City police say they want people to stay off the roads until the city crews have an opportunity to plow them Meantime a decision on school busing will be made early in the morning.

Snowfall Warning in Effect

Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the area. 10 to 15 centimeters are expected today, snow falling heavy at times. Wind becoming east at 30 km/h in the morning and blowing snow in the afternoon.

Kirby Wants Change to Safe Streets Act

A Kenora lawyer isn't giving up his crusade to get some changes made to the federal government's Safe Streets Act. Peter Kirby says he's worried that the act will result in more people going to jail. Kirby has launched a petition asking for changes to the criminal code.

MP Rickford Says Diversification is Key

The population in northwestern Ontario needs a kick-start and Member of Parliament Greg Rickford believes diversification is the key. Rickford admits the downturn in the forest sector has taken its toll on the region, but he believes the federal government has a role in turning that trend around. The most recent census showed the population in the Kenora District shrank by 11 percent, largely due to the decline in the forest industry.