City Vacancy Rate Very Low

Thunder Bay has the dubious distinction of having the second lowest apartment vacancy rate in the country.Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation pegs the vacancy rate in the city in October at 1.1 per cent. It's a statistic that concerns Saku Pinta of the Lakehead Social Planning Council. He says it means low income people in the city will be feeling the pressure since they are already struggling to find affordable housing and low rates will help to push rents much higher.

They're Back

It's back to the classroom today for 500 public school elementary teachers in Thunder Bay after their one day strike yesterday.  They were trying to bring attention to their concerns over government legislation they feel is taking away their collective bargaining rights.  There's no word on whether there will be another strike before the Christmas break or not.  

Man Hurt In Hilldale Accident

A 51 year old man is in critical but stable condition in hospital this morning after being involved in a single vehicle accident on Hilldale Road yesterday afternoon.  Police say just before 5 o'clock the man's vehicle went off the road and crashed into the ditch.  They say that the man's medical condition may have played a role in the mishap. 

New Company Moving to T.Bay

Aquatech Dewatering, a mining related company plans to set up shop in Thunder Bay this spring.
President Andy Ingriselli says they've had their eye on the community for sometime now. The office is expected to open in March or April. 5 staff members will work in the office for the first year with the possibility of one day employing up to 25 people. Mining companies use Aquatech to get water out of mine sites among other things.

Horwath and Mauro Talk Auditor General Report

The Leader of the NDP is weighing in on the findings of Auditor General Jim McCarter.  McCarter released his annual report on Wednesday and showed that the waiting lists for long-term care homes have tripled since 2005 and that last year 15 per cent of patients on a waiting list died before getting into a home.  Andrea Horwath says that's not surprising. Horwath says having the report in black and white will help the opposition push the Provincial Government to make changes to alleviate long term care waiting lists.  Meanwhile, Thunder Bay Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro says it's now important to make sure the government takes actions on the suggestions from McCarter.

Hwy 17 Closed Near Kenora

A multiple vehicle accident has closed Highway 17 West of Kenora. O.P.P say the accident occurred before noon today at Highway 17 and Inglis Road. Constable Dave Cain wants to warn drivers about conditions in the area and to avoid the highway if possible.

Urban Aboriginal Strategy Updated

Thunder Bay's Urban Aboriginal Strategy is looking to the future.  They held a brainstorming session Thursday and discussed what issues will affect First Nations people in the City in the coming years.  Spokesperson Frances Wesley says they want more services for youth.  Wesley says they also want to provide more welcoming services to First Nation families relocating in Thunder Bay.

Kettle Campaign Reaches Halfway Point

The Salvation Army Christmas Kettle campaign needs your continued support. Major Merv Halvorsen says so far they've raised just over 80-thousand dollars. Another 80-thousand dollars needs to be raised to reach their 160 thousand dollar goal. You can donate to the Christmas Kettle campaign up until Christmas Eve.

United Way Still Needs More Cash

The United Way only has 2 more weeks left to reach it's fundraising goal of 2.6 million dollars.  So far they've raised just over 1.6 million and there's another 955 thousand more that needs to come in.  Several donation ceremonies are taking place Thursday which should help bring the fundraising total up. 

Accident Traps Passengers

Two people are survivors of a traffic accident near Nipigon yesterday that had them trapped in their vehicle for a time. OPP say the driver lost control on an icy stretch of Highway 17 and then rolled over a steep embankment. After two hours the 40 year old male passenger managed to free himself and helped the 65 year old woman who was the driver get out as well. A couple of road clearing workers managed to find the couple and take them to McCausland Hospital in Terrace Bay where they are recovering.

Chief Happy Bail Safety Program Renewed

It seems the Provincial Government has changed its mind when it comes to the funding of the Police Bail Safety program.  The program was set to expire at the end of this March, but now will run until the end of March 2014.  Police Chief JP Levesque says it's music to his ears.  The bail safety program allows an officer to alert domestic abuse victims when their abuser is being let out of jail.

NAPS Welcomes New Officers

Nishnawbe Aski Nation will be presenting badges to 5 new police officers on Friday. Graduating officers are Trent Abernot, Graham Cotter, Aaron Dodge, Evan Polini, and Peter Schoenfeld. The new police will work in the North West and North East Regions.

Elementary Teachers Strike Today

Thunder Bay's public school board teachers are taking part in a one day strike today.  Over 500 teachers are rallying across the City today at 5 local schools, the offices of MPPs Bill Mauro and Michael Gravelle and Mini Queen's Park.  Local ETFO President Ellen Chambers says they feel for the parents who were left scrambling for a babysitter.  Public teachers with the Lakehead Public School Board will be back to work tomorrow.

Griffon Officer To Receive Medal

Yet another Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal is being given out in Thunder Bay.  This time the honour is going to Lieutenant-Commander Carolyn Garrity of the HMCS Griffon.    The ceremony is taking place at Rumours Dining Room at Confederation College this afternoon at 3:30. 

NWO's Wilde Gets More Kudos

More accolades for Atikokan blues and jazz artist Sunday Wilde. A radio station out of the U.K. has Wilde among its nominees for best female blue acts in its year end awards. Area residents can vote by email your choice to studio@severnfm.com with a subject: blues awards.

Fort Frances Tries To Plan

The mayor of Fort Frances says the town is working diligently to minimize the impact felt by the indefinite idling of the kraft mill and a paper machine at Resolute Forest Products. Roy Avis says it includes forming a council sub-committee that look at the town's economic future under his direction.  Avis says council's also had talks already with Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle; Northern Development Parliamentary Assistant Bill Mauro and company officials.

Minnesota Wants Moose Declared Endangered

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wants to add moose to the state's endangered species list. The moose population is declining in Minnesota, so the DNR wants to list the animal as a `species of concern.' The status wouldn't limit hunting. That would happen only if moose moved to threatened or endangered status.

Kelseys Raises Money For Movember

Thunder Bay's Kelseys Restaurant is donating money from it's Movember campaign.  They raised over 23-hundred dollars which will be used towards local organizations.

City Playing Host To Conference

Thunder Bay is playing host to the 2014 Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities annual general meeting.  250 delegates from across North America will be taking part.  Thunder Bay will welcome delegates in June of 2014.

Bail Safety Program Funding Out In March

Thunder Bay's Police Chief wants the Provincial Government to extend funding for the "Bail Safety" program.  Funding runs out at the end of March and means there will no longer be a Constable in charge of alerting victims of domestic abuse when their attacker is being let out of jail.  JP Levesque says they'll be lobbying the Province to keep funding the project.  Levesque says the program is critical since they investigate over 3-thousand domestic violence incidents a year.

Local ETFO Strike Wednesday

Elementary Teachers in the Lakehead Public School Board are on strike Wednesday.  Over 500 teachers will be rallying at 5 local schools and at the offices of MPPs Bill Mauro and Michael Gravelle at Mini Queen's Park.  Local ETFO President Ellen Chambers says this strike is aimed directly at the Education Minister.  Strike locations include Algonquin Avenue School, Edgewater, Sir Winston Churchill, Vance Chapman and Westmount.

Hyer Makes Statement Wednesday

Thunder Bay Superior North MP Bruce Hyer is going to bring up Bill C-45 in the House of Commons Wednesday.  On Monday, First Nation residents across Canada rallied to spread awareness on how the bill will affect their treaty rights.  Hyer says he understands why First Nation communities are upset and notes they are in good company since the Prime Minister has failed to consult most groups that are impacted by the Federal Government's legislation.

More Money For Flood Relief Fund

Thunder Bay's Fire Fighters are proudly presenting the Disaster Relief Committee with over 15-thousand dollars. The money was generated from the "Rock the Fire House" event held in November. With the matching Provincial Government funds it raises the donation to over 47-thousand dollars.

Politics And Nuclear Waste

The politics of nuclear waste is not lost on the Nuclear Waste Management Organization as it searches for a host community for a disposal site for used radioactive fuel bundles . Spokesperson Mike Krizanc says recent public hearings held by MP Bruce Hyer on the subject are of interest to them and they'd like to speak with him to find out what he learned. Eight northwestern Ontario communities are now in the midst of learning about the project so they can decided whether they want the disposal site built in their town.

Hospital New VP Of Medical & Academic Affairs

Thunder Bay's Hospital has a new Executive Vice President of Medical and Academic Affairs. Dr. Stewart Kennedy was recently appointed to the position and will start his new role on January 2nd.

Kennedy is responsible for clinical programs and services. Kennedy is replacing Dr. Gordon Porter who will be taking on the role of Chief of Staff.

Striking NWO Teachers Rally In Dryden

Lights will remain off in elementary schools operated by the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board today.A one day strike is taking place today by members of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario.  Local Union president, Ann Saltel says their members will be gathering in Dryden today for a mass rally.The one day strike is against Bill 115, which imposes contracts on the teachers, and is supposed to take away their right to strike. 

Police Budget Lowered

The Police Services Board is approving a decrease in it's 2013 budget.  At Tuesday's meeting, members voted to cut around a 100-thousand dollars from the fiscal document.  Chief JP Levesque says after the board passed the budget in November they went back and looked for more savings. City Council will look at the police budget in the New Year.

New Courthouse Brings Extra Police Costs

The new consolidated court house is expected to open in September of next year. With the grand opening comes extra costs for the local police force. They'll have to hire 4 new full time employees to work the metal detector x-ray and the security system. Members of the Police Service Board are hoping the Provincial Government will step up and provide funding for the new positions.

Upbeat Climate For Hiring: Survey

Thunder Bay area employers expect an upbeat hiring climate for the first quarter of 2013, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. The survey reveals that 13 per cent of employers plan to hire between January to March, while 13 per cent anticipate cutbacks. Another 70 per cent of employers plan to maintain their current staffing levels while three per cent of employers are unsure.

City Reserves Support Of Green Project

The City is holding off on throwing it's support behind a new company that wants to use food waste to create green energy.  Digestic Corp. will burn food waste from local grocery stores to create renewable energy.  Company Spokesperson Jason Whiteside says he doesn't foresee any neighbours on Front Street having a problem.  Council isn't going to give its blessing until it hears more from city staff.  The company is looking for support from the City so it can gain approval from the Provincial Government.

City Takes Over Training Centre

City Council is taking over the management of the local Emergency Training Centre. Councillors voted Monday night to waive the 572-thousand dollar loan that was provided to the centre's board several years ago to build the training facility.  President Larry Price says they'll have to hold a board meeting to determine the fate of their many projects.  City staff told council the training centre had muddy finances and that they should consider recouping their loan by taking over the facility.

Idle No More

Rallies are happening all across the country today including in Thunder Bay.  Idle No More is raising awareness on how Bill C-45 will affect treaty rights.  Maegan Gardner from Eagle Lake First Nation is the coordinator of the rally that was held in Dryden this morning, and says this bill will affect everyone.  Gardner says the bill will have an impact on area First Nations and the environment.

Airports Authority Gets 1 Million $

The Thunder Bay Airports Authority's industrial park is getting 1 million dollars to help attract new businesses, specifically, those involved with the aerospace industry. The money is coming from the provincial government and MPP Bill Mauro says part of the expansion includes adding up to 10 more lots to the park.

Director Says She Has No Choice

The Public School Board is closing its elementary schools on Wednesday because teachers will be going on a one day strike as part of their labour action against the Ontario government's anti-strike legislation. The Board's Director of Education Cathi Siemieiuk says she has no choice but to make the move to shut the schools down for the safety of the students.  Siemieiuk says however the schools day care centres will remain open.

First Aid Funding

The Red Cross is preparing a first aid program for several northwestern Ontario First Nations communities thanks to a donation from Union Gas. Red Cross spokesperson Rob Zuback says the company has given them 25 hundred dollars towards helping the most vulnerable learn the basics of first aid.

Housing Starts Up 17 Per Cent

The number of new housing construction starts in Thunder Bay has surpassed last year .   According to government statistics the number of single detached starts is over the 200 mark.  Warren Philp of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation says it's only the 3rd time that's happened in the last 15 years and is a 17 per cent increase over last year at the same time. 

Missing Man Found

Thunder Bay Police say a 19 year old Cherry Ridge man is now back with his family. Police say James McCormack returned last night after being on the missing person's list for almost a week. No further details are available.

Crimestoppers Crime Of The Week

Education, Ring Of Fire & Economic Development

Ontario Liberal Leadership Debate candidates are addressing the elephant in the room.  Education came up as a topic of discussion at Sunday's debate at Lakehead University and Kathleen Wynne took the time to say the Provincial Government needs to repair their relationship with teachers.  Gerard Kennedy told the audience more needs to be done for Aboriginal students.  Meanwhile Glenn Murray says Northerners need to have a say on employment training decisions. Other topics of discussion included the Ring of Fire and Economic Development in Northern Ontario.

Liberal Leadership Debate Draws Protesters

Wind Farm Activists, Teachers Unions and First Nations are just some of the people who protested at the Ontario Liberal Leadership debate.  Local Secondary School Teachers Federation Vice President Richard Sealey says they wanted to drive home to the candidates that the Provincial Government should respect their right to bargain.  Public Sector Workers spoke to three of the seven candidates about putting an end to privatizing government jobs. Police were posted outside of Lakehead University on Sunday while people rallied outside of the debate at Lakehead University.

ETFO Lakehead to Strike on 12th

ETFO Lakehead teachers and occasional teachers will stage a one-day strike this upcoming Wednesday. Ellen Chambers, the ETFO Lakehead Teacher Local President says they want to send the government a message that Bill 115 is severely impeding local collective bargaining. Chambers says they are striking because there were no negotiations. Both locals will move into a legal strike position tomorrow.

Greenspace Protection Wanted

A petition is being presented to city council Monday night which asks the city for its help in protecting some greenspace next to the Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital. The petitioners are concerned that without any zoning protection the area might fall prey to development

Local Food Project Funding Recommended

City administration is recommending adding 100 thousand dollars to the city's budget to help with the distribution and promotion of locally grown food within city institutions.  The money will come from the province's so called Greenbelt fund to help promote such projects across the province.   City Councillors will deal with the issue Monday evening.

Council Considering Loan Forgiveness

City Council is considering forgiving a loan to the local Emergency Services Training Corporation. The money was used to build the group's training facility. However, city staff are suggesting they turn down a request for over 600-thousand dollars to build an indoor gun range. The report will come before council Monday night.

Tories Eye Kenora-Rainy River

Progressive Conservatives intend to focus a lot of attention on the Kenora-Rainy River riding in the next election. The riding has been an NDP stronghold for many years, but MPP Garfield Dunlop believes there's enough support out there for the Tories to grab. Dunlop was in the Fort Frances area to talk to area leaders about ways to get more young people interested in the trades.

Company To Ask For City Support

A new company is asking for city support. Digestic Corp. plans to use food waste from local restaurants and grocery stores to generate renewable green energy. They want to take the waste directly from the businesses and throw it in their digester bypassing the landfill. A letter of support from the city could be used to help the company with its application to the Provincial Government's renewable energy program.

High School Teachers Plan Monday Sanctions

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation is starting new job sanctions today. High School teachers will arrive 15 minutes before the work day and leave immediately after class ends.Local OSSTF President Paul Caccamo says they'll also cut out any after school activities.Caccamo says they hope the job action sends a message to Education Minister Laurel Broten.

No Strike Date For Local Teachers

There is still no date set for a one day strike by local public elementary school teachers. The school board's Director of Education Cathi Siemieiuk says so far the teachers union hasn't given 72 hours noticed, but she says that could change anytime, even on the weekend. Siemieiuk says when there is a strike, all public elementary schools will be closed.

Wawa Gets Help

The Provincial Government is helping Wawa rebuild and recover from its recent flood damage. The province has committed nearly 7 million dollars to help the community.  3.5 million dollars will be available under the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program for emergency costs and essential infrastructure repairs. Another 3 million is going towards replacing a bridge repairing Highway 17.  Residents and small businesses that lost property in the flood are eligible to apply for assistance as well.

2 Million Already Raised For DFC Residence

Fundraising efforts for a new student residence at Dennis Franklin Cromarty school aren't even a week old and already 2.1 million dollars has been collected. Tom Kamenawatamin of the Wasaya Group says mining companies are going to be one source in reaching their 15 million dollar objective. One has already come through with KWG Resources contributing 2 million dollars.  Fundraising will kick into full gear in the new year once a business plan is addressed.

Frazee Released

The Lakehead University Thunderwolves men's hockey team have released their leading scorer Thomas Frazee. There is no clear cut reason for Frazee's immediate release other than Lakehead’s Athletic Director Tom Warden said “We feel that this decision is in the best interest of our hockey team.” Frazee had 7 goals and 15 assists and was 7th in O.U.A. scoring after 16 conference games in the first half.

No Other Flood Victim Complaints

The plight of one East End flood victim appears to be an isolated complaint. She says her Christmas is in tatters because her relief money will come too late. The chair of the city's Disaster Relief Committee, Wayne Fletcher, says the fundraising rules prevent an early payout, something they realized early on in the process and that's why they offered the early initial payments of 1 thousand dollars. Fletcher says no other flood victims have had a similar beef.