Hefty marijuana seizure

A 20-year-old woman faces possession charges following an investigation. Nishnawbe-Aski Police seized a package that was sent from Timmins to Kashechewan First Nation. Police say the package contained 44-hundred dollars worth of marihuana. Police say Shelly Hughie of Kashechewan has been charged.

OTF funding

A major honour for a youth project in the Northern reserve of Kashechewan.  The Kashechewan Youth Video project and Nishnawbe Aski Nation has won the Ontario Trillium Foundation Chair's Award.  The project brought youth and adult allies together to address school drop-out rates, drug and alcohol abuse and a high risk of suicide.  The Trillium Foundation says the initiative has had an expectional impact on the community.

NDP leadership race nearing end

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell is backing Nicki Ashton for the Federal NDP leadership.  New Democrats will choose a new leader this weekend.  Campbell says Ashton understands northern and rural issues and is clearly the best person to lead the party.  She adds that the 29-year-old Manitoba MP was one of the few leadership candidates who promised to bring new ideas to the table. 

Highway 11 open

Highway 11 east of Atikokan is now open.  A section between Quetico Park and Kashabowie had been closed last night while emergency personnel dealt with a burning vehicle.  No other details of the incidents are immediately available.

Oxy warning from M.O.H.

The city's Medical Officer of Health is wondering if the Health Unit's needle exchange program will be overwhelmed as Oxycontin addicts move to other drugs. Dr. David Williams says if the program can't meet the anticipated demand, it could result in the outbreak of infectious diseases such as H.I.V. Aids, Hepatitis C and other sicknesses. He says that could be disastrous for some communities if they can't get a grip on a sudden mass use of illicit drugs that they have no control over.

City embraces Respect

Eliminating racism, homophobia and harassment will take respect from everyone in Thunder Bay. That's the theme of the new program that has been adopted by the city.  The "Respect" campaign was started at Confederation college in 2006 by its student union and was incorporated into the city Wednesday.  Mayor Keith Hobbs says bridging cultural gaps is vital for the future of Thunder Bay.  

NDP wants Health Minister's Head

The Provincial Auditor General's report on ORNGE Air Ambulance is drawing calls for the Health Minister to resign.  NDP Leader Andrea Horvath says the report proves that Deb Matthews is incompetant. MPP Bill Mauro disagrees saying there are to many cracks in the system that are beyond government control. Mauro says new legislation that was introduced Wednesday will go a long way to preventing a situation like ORNGE from happening again.

Early start to street sweeping

The early arrival of spring-like weather is getting the city's roads team into gear. Manager Brad Adams says street cleaning is beginning this week, sooner than it usually does by about two or three weeks.  He says they normally start street sweeping the first or second week of April. 

Union boss optimistic about Viterra deal

The head of the union that represents grain handlers in the city is optimistic that the sale of Viterra will not have much of an impact on the company's three local elevators or the employees. Viterra was acquired by Glencore International. Steelworkers union boss Herb Daniher says however, it's not unusual for such deals to result in lay offs. Daniher says once the deal is actually finalized is when the union will try to discover what it will mean for workers.

School Board talks mandatory gym classes

The Lakehead Public School Board says it will follow the Province's lead when it comes to talk of making physical education mandatory up to Grade 12.  So far the McGuinty government is refusing to commit to adopting a call from Cancer Care Ontario and Public Health Ontario.  Education Officer Charlie Bishop says they understand that students need to be more active in a world full of technology.  Bishop adds if the initiative were to happen it would change the high school credit system.  The two groups feel that if gym classes were mandatory it would help prevent chronic diseases.

Warm weather records continue to break

We may have rain today but yesterday saw record breaking warm temperatures. Here in the City we reached a high of 21.1 beating the 1946 record of 13.3. Those figures our courtesy of our Meteorologist Bill Laidlaw.

Humane Society pans private members bill

Thunder Bay's Humane Society isn't thrilled with a Progressive Conservative's private members bill.  Executive Director Maryann Kleynendorst says the revised bill 47 is troubling to the Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.  The bill comes back for a vote tomorrow in the Ontario legislature.

Food forum on at LU

Thunder Bay has two community kitchens. The results from the projects at the Regional Food Distribution Association and Our Children Count will be presented today at a food forum at Lakehead University. Spokesperson LeeAnn Chevrette says community kitchen's help build community and foster healthy eating habits.

Union gas rates decline

Northwestern Ontario Union Gas customers are going to see their bills decrease in the coming month.  The Ontario Energy Board has approved changes to the natural gas commodity price that Union Gas charges its customers.  OEB Spokesperson Paul Crawford says the new lower rates come into effect April 1st.

Golf season starts

Its an early start to the golf season in Thunder Bay. Owner of Dragon Hills Golf Course Mike Komar says the driving range and the course officially opened Tuesday at noon.

Ground beef product recall

The District Health Unit is keeping its eye on the ground beef products recall that's in effect across the country. It's due to possible E. coli contamination. Spokesperson Chris Beveridge says they are simply getting the word out for now by contacting stores and higher risk institutions like day cares, hospitals and long term care facilities. Most of the products are frozen beef burgers in a variety of names. Here is a list of affected products.

Suspicious car fire on north side

Thunder Bay Police are calling a car fire on the City's north side suspicious.  The fire department was called to Frankwood Avenue where they alerted the police to the blaze.  The Forensic Identification Unit was called to the scene and more information is expected to be released later today.

Councillor Clarifies Remarks

City Councillor Aldo Ruberto is clarifying his stance towards a plebiscite on the proposed Events Centre location.  Ruberto says comments he made to our newsroom are being taken out of context implying he doesn't trust voters to make an informed decision, he says that couldn't be further from the truth.  The At Large Councillor admits its a very complex issue and welcomes input from residents.

E. coli watch

The District Health Unit is keeping its eye on the ground beef products recall that's in effect across the country. It's due to possible E. coli contamination. Spokesperson Chris Beveridge says they are simply getting the word out for now by contacting stores and higher risk institutions like day cares, hospitals and long term care facilities.  Most of the products are frozen beef burgers in a variety of names .  Here is a list of affected products.

Thunder Bay in the top 50 best places in Canada to live

Another comparison survey is painting Thunder Bay in a pretty nice light.   Our city is rated 46 out of 190 for the best places to live in Canada by money sense dot c-a.  Mayor Keith Hobbs says despite the relatively high ranking he thinks Thunder Bay deserves to be higher.  We ranked 22 for affordable housing, 39th weather wise with our lowest ranking coming in population growth where we finished 164th out of 190.

Pennies for change

Thunder Bay's United Way is kicking off it's 2012 Pennies for Change campaign.  In 2011, 19 thousand dollars was brought in in loose change. A variety of local organizations will be taking loose change for the campaign up until April 30th.

Winter road network in bad shape

The winter roads to area First Nations are no longer safe to drive on.  The roads are quickly deterioating and Nishnawbe-Aski Police have had to respond to several incidents on the road.  Most communities have closed their sections of the road network.

Police Board ratifies contract

Civilian servants with Thunder Bay Police are getting a raise.  The Police Services Board recently approved their ratified contract and Chair Joe Virdiramo says it's a four year contract.  The next contract up for ratification coming to the Police Service Board is the Police Force's Senior Officers.

Bike lanes under microscope

The city's bike lane system on Victoria Avenue is coming under scrutiny. It comes after some safety concerns by motorists. The city's Active Transportation Coordinator Adam Krupper says they are looking at one specific section of Victoria, where it intersects with Waterloo Street.  Krupper says a consultant has also been hired to review the bike lane system and how it might be improved.

Saving a quarter million dollars....priceless

Lakehead University is changing the way it accepts payment for tuition and student resident services. As of May first, L-U's finance boss Michael Pawlowski says they will no longer be accepting credit cards. He says it will amount to a savings of over a quarter million dollars in fees they would normally pay to the credit card companies. Pawlowski says they feel the savings could be better spent in other areas of the institution.

Warm weather records broken

Thunder Bay keeps breaking weather records.  We saw a high of 18.9 yesterday which broke a warm record of 12.2 set back in 1946.  Fort Frances was the warmest yesterday reaching 26 degrees.

A new Regional Economic Development Agency is in the works

The Region could soon have a body to oversee economic development across the Northwest.  Thunder Bay City Council saw a presentation yesterday from Iain Angus who is chair a group that is working to create the Regional Economic Development Agency.  Angus says there are already several agencies that cover economic development but not on a regional level. This group would include all First nations and municipalities.  He says the REDA would give the Northwest a unified voice at both the provincial and federal levels.

Subdivision causes some debate

A proposed 25 unit subdivision near the Fort William Country Club is creating a bit of a buzz.  About a dozen people spoke up at council last night both for and against the project.  Residents who spoke out against the plan are worried the construction would destroy the pristine scenery while those in favour say it would be a great place to live and are especially interested in the larger than average lot sizes. The proposal will come back to council towards the end of April. 

Province changes funding model for hospitals

It won't be until May or June until we find out if a new Provincial Funding structure will benefit the Health Sciences Centre.  Vice President Scott Potts says its still unclear how the new model will work, but he's optimistic the hospital will see an increase in funding.

Local students condemn London violence

If the students who rioted in London, Ontario are expecting support from their counterparts at Thunder Bay's Confederation College, they're mistaken. Those we spoke to are condemning the violence

Busch new campaign chair

Carol Busch will be the face of this fall's United Way campaign having been selected the new campaign chair.   She says she can't wait to hit the ground running.

Making a big splash during Water Week

The city and EcoSuperior have a common bond this week. They both are helping to promote Water Week and specifically, water conservation. EcoSuperior's Ashley Priem says we still have a lot to learn about saving H2O.   Priem adds there will also be tours of the Bare Point Water Treatment and Atlantic Avenue Pollution Control plants .

Humane Society financially stable

Thunder Bay's Humane Society is in the clear financially after threatening to close its doors back in November. Executive Director Maryann Kleynendorst says it's a huge relief to have their bills paid and staff salaries covered. Kleynendorst says an increase in public donations helped saved the local agency.

Public input required on White Pelican habitat

The Ministry of Natural Resources wants your feedback on it's proposed protected habitats for the American White Pelican.  Biologist Glen Desy says Pelican's are found on Lake of the Woods, Lac Seul and parts of Lake Superior.  You have until April 2nd to comment and can do so by clicking here.

OPP snag 200-thousand dollars of pot

Over 200 thousand dollars in marijuana is in OPP hands after a traffic stop on Highway 17 east of Marathon. OPP stopped a vehicle travelling westbound on the Trans Canada and found a large amount of pot. A 29 year old Quebec man is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Three fires deemed arson

Three fires in the McIntyre area are being deemed cases of arson.  Fire Department Spokesperson Eric Nordlund says there were two fires on Regina Avenue and another on John Street.  Nordlund says because of the location and time of the fires they seem to be connected.  The fires broke out between four am and 10 am on Sunday.  A garage and two sheds were destroyed in the three incidents.

Missing man found

Thunder Bay Police are reporting that a missing 20 year old man has been found.  Oscar Basic was picked by the Toronto Police force and they're holding him.  Basic was reported missing last week after he was last seen at the Health Sciences Centre.

Kraft Mill in Fort down

More bad news for Mill workers in Fort Frances.  A lack of qualified personnel has put a halt to production at the Resolute Forest Products kraft mill.  Company spokesperson Pierre Choquette says the mill doesn't have enough second class stationary engineers needed to run the plant.

Weather records broken

Weather records toppled across Northwestern Ontario over the weekend.  The hot spot yesterday was Fort Frances at 26.4-degrees.  Thunder Bay hit 15.7 beating the old record of 13.8 in 2010.

City arsons being probed

Police are puzzled by three arsons on the city's north side which have caused extensive property damage.  Two of the incidents were on Regina Avenue, the other on John Street with the fires breaking out between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sunday.  Police believe there may be a connection between two of the arsons, but they're still investigating.

MP Rickford Defends Safe Streets Act

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford is defending the Safe Streets Act, which was passed through the House of Commons this week. The Kenora Lawyers Sentencing Group has been outspoken about the impact the bill will have on young offenders and aboriginal people who run afoul of the law. Rickford says they consulted widely on the bill and is satisfied that most Canadians support tougher sentences for criminals. Rickford says the bill provides better protection for children from sexual predators and tougher sentences for drug crimes.

City Council to look at new subdivision

A developer will ask council to approve a new subdivision on Mountain Road next to the Fort William Country Club.  Ryan Jones is looking for support to create a 25 unit project on 18 acres of land.  He originally presented this proposal in 2005 but it was turned down by council.  Jones has since undertaken a number of studies to meet some objections to his initial plan.

NDP Leadership contender makes late campaign stop in Tbay

Despite both our MP's already backing different NDP Leadership candidates the youngest contender is looking for support in Thunder Bay.  Niki Ashton was in town Friday and says she respects the decisions of both Bruce Hyer and John Rafferty and is looking for the support of all NDP party members in the Northwest.  The 29 year old believes it's time we look to the future to ensure her generation has the same opportunities that have been available in this country for decades.

Police Service wants Mauro demoted

City Police Sgt. Jim Mauro will find out his fate April 5th. An adjudicator has found Mauro guilty of discreditable conduct following a Police Services Act hearing. Deputy Police Chief Andy Hay says they are asking that Mauro be permanently demoted to the rank of constable instead of an outright dismissal. Evidence at the hearing showed that Mauro presented letter at a 2009 arbitration proceeding and falsely claimed it was from then Police Association President, Keith Hobbs. Meantime the Mauro family says the proceedings were an "incredible" waste of taxpayers dollars.

Deputy Chief Hay discusses the fact Sgt. Mauro has been suspended with pay for the two years Mauro's case has been outstanding.

Shipping Season about to open

The start of the shipping season is coming early.  Port Authority CEO Tim Heney says an ice breaker will be here this weekend to get the port ready for the season that'll open on the 25th after the Sault Locks open. Heney says it looks like most people inside the grain industry think the Wheat Board ending could be good for Thunder Bay.

Man falls through floodway ice

A highly questionable decision has left one man wet but safe.  The man was walking across the Neebing McIntyre floodway when he fell through the ice.  Police say with the warm temperatures the ice in the area is NOT Safe.

NAN Women's Council

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation Women's Council is fresh off a two day election.  Four women from First Nations in the east of NAN's territory and four from the west were elected.  The council serves as the voice of women and families.

TVO show loosely based on NOSM

TVO is launching it's very own medical drama show based on the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.  Spokesperson Paul Ginnis says it's like a northern Ontario version of Grey's Anatomy.  The show will follow first year students working in the remote communities in the North. The production of the series is taking place around Sudbury.

Heart to Heart bonspiel cancelled

There will not be a Heart to Heart Charity Bonspiel this year. Organizers cancelled the long time event that was to raise money for the Northern Cardiac Fund. Officials say they needed 72 curlers to put on the event and as of yesterday only 34 people had shown interest. Due to the lack of interest final logistics could not be finalized.

Pain med shortage impacts Fido

A local veterinary hospital says they're starting to feel the impact of pain medication shortages.  Production cuts at a factory in Quebec are impacting human hospitals and now the treatment of animals as well. A local vet says they've been unable to get some of the medications they require but the purchasing companies they work with are looking for substitutes.  The vet clinic did not want their name used.

New iPad on store shelves

The new iPad has arrived in Thunder Bay but to very little fanfare.  Walmart Electronic's Department Manager Donald Bates says they expect to get more customers in the afternoon.  The new model comes with a faster processor and a much sharper screen.

Possible casino privatization concerns MPP

The possible privatization of Ontario Lottery and Gaming facilities in the province is catching a local MPP's attention. The idea was floated in this weeks OLG announcement of sweeping changes. Bill Mauro says he is unsure if that will mean the casino in Thunder Bay is going to land in private hands or not, and says he is having discussions on the issue since he hasn't seen any details of the proposal just yet.