More ELA Support

Thunder Bay MP Bruce Hyer is putting the pressure on Kenora MP Greg Rickford.  Hyer says Rickford isn't talking about the Experimental Lakes Area inside parliament.  Last week during a question period Hyer brought forward talks about petitions given to Rickford that have not been mentioned.  Meanwhile, more high level support for the Experimental Lakes area.  The ELA was on the minds of the delegates at the annual meeting of a World wide Oceanography organization in New Orleans yesterday.  A number of delegates showed up wearing t-shirts supporting the ELA.

 

Business District Closer To Strat Plan

Now the real work begins for the Fort William Business District. A series of public meetings on the future of the area are now completed. Spokesperson JP Fraser says there were several common themes that came from the gatherings. He says the top concerns included safety, parking, and more shopping variety. The results of the meetings will be reviewed and may be included in the area's strategic plan which will then be incorporated into the city's Official Plan.

Foulds Set To Make An Announcement

Political pundits in Thunder Bay are abuzz over what Andrew Foulds might announce this afternoon. The city councillor has close ties with the NDP and the thinking is he might take his political ambitions to a new level with a shot at the provincial scene.

Hobbs Happy With Clement Meeting

Thunder Bay's Mayor is confident in the Federal Government's role with the Ring of Fire development.  Keith Hobbs met with FedNor Minister Tony Clement today to discuss the future mining opportunity.  Clement also spoke to First Nation leaders while in Thunder Bay the past two days.

Northern Policy Institute Names Chair

The Northern Policy Institute's board of directors is selecting Sudbury residnet Martin Bayer as its Chair.  Marathon's Dr. George Macey will serve as the vice-chair.  Ten individuals from seven communities across Northern Ontario were appointed earlier to serve on NPI’s board of directors.  The Northern Policy Institute will help come up with legislation made for the North by the North for the Provincial Government.

Crime Prevention Booklet Available

City Police are doing their part to make the community more crime smart.  They've joined an Ontario wide crime prevention campaign.  Police will be alerting residents about online fraud, id theft, cyber crime and break enter and thefts.  A booklet full of tips can be found at the Balmoral Street Police Station.

Gull Bay Trapper Safe

A Gull Bay First Nation man is safe and sound after his snow machine got stuck in slush on Lake Nipigon.  He was trapping on some islands east of Gull Bay when he was reported missing.  OPP found him in good health near a cabin he had taken shelter from bitter winds and frigid temperatures.

Hwy 11 Accident Caused By White Out Conditions

Highway 11 at Orient Bay, north of Nipigon, is open again after being closed for about 5 hours overnight.   OPP say a jackknifed tractor trailer caused a problem after two other vehicles ran into it.  There were only minor injuries.  Police blame white out conditions. 

John Street Road Open

Thunder Bay Police continue to investigate a collision between a mini-van and a front end loader on John Street Road.  The man driving the mini-van is in hospital with serious injuries. John Street Road is now open between Mapleward and Community Hall roads

No Charges Being Laid In Fatal Accident

A Ministry of Labour investigation into last year's fatal industrial accident at the new Country Club Condo's on Oliver and Golf Links Road is complete.  No charges are being laid against LTL Contracting after a worker was killed after he was run over by a dump truck that was backing up at the construction site.

Zone Watch Coming Soon

City Police hope to have their new website and community based social networking site up and running by the Spring.  Spokesperson Chris Adams says they'll start recruiting members for the zone watch program in April.  Thunder Bay Police received 97-thousand dollars to establish the new websites.

Dryden Making Cuts

Cuts are starting to be made within the City of Dryden.  Staff are trying to find roughly 1-million dollars in savings thanks to the reassessment of the Domtar Mill.  City Manager Joe van Koeverden says they've already come up with roughly 500-thousand dollars in staff reductions.  Van Koeverden wouldn't comment on possible reductions at the Dryden Development Corporation.

Hyer Urges Feds To Keep ELA Open

Thunder Bay's MP is urging the Federal Government not to close the Experimental Lakes Area, west of Vermilion Bay.  Bruce Hyer says when it comes to the future of the facility the government only has 2 real options.  Hyer says the cost to close the facility would cost around 25 times the cost of operating it for one year.

Energy Task Force Has Another Meeting

The City's Energy Task Force continues to meet with members of the Ontario Power Authority over their plans for the Mission Island Power Plant.  The conversion to natural gas was put on hold and now the two sides are trying to find a compromise that would allow the plant to stay open beyond 2013.  The next meeting is scheduled for February 28th and the City plans to rehash their concerns with the new Energy Minister in Toronto at the Ontario Good Roads Conference.

V. Kelnter Sells Its Helicopters

On the Local business front, Expedition Helicopters of Cochrane has acquired the fleet of V. Kelner Helicopters located in Thunder Bay.   With the addition of two aircraft to its fleet of 12,  it makes Expedition the largest helicopter operator in Northern Ontario.

Mixed Bag Of Issues For Good Roads Conference

City Councillors are looking forward to airing their grievances with Provincial Cabinet Ministers during the Ontario Good Roads Conference in Toronto.  Councillor Joe Virdiramo says they hope to ask the Province for some extra funding to offset the 4 police officers needed to staff the new consolidated court house. Virdiramo says they'll also be speaking to Ministers about senior care, disaster relief, energy and mining readiness.  The Good Roads Conference gets underway on Sunday and runs until Wednesday next week.

Fire Destroys Dryden Business

A major fire in Dryden.  No one is hurt, but a business is destroyed.  Details from Bruce Walchuk in the video.

Mauro Likes Transit Mention

Thunder Bay area MPP Bill Mauro is giving his government's Speech from the Throne two thumbs up.  Mauro says the Premier promised to do more work improving transit in the Province, and that's good news locally for the Bombardier plant. Tuesday was Wynne's first throne speech and at least one of the opposition parties needs to support the speech in order to avoid triggering an election.

Cumming St. Apartment Fire Suspicious

Thunder Bay's Fire Department feels a large blaze that consumed most of a nine unit apartment building over the weekend on Cumming Street is suspicious.  Early Sunday morning, emergency responders were notified of a large fire in the vacant building. The fire is highly suspicious due to the fact that it occurred in a vacant building that is secured from intruders and under reconstruction from a previous fire.  No known ignition sources were found in the building.  Thunder Bay Police are now pursuing more information relating to the cause of this fire.

Something For Everyone In Speech

Thunder Bay MPP Michael Gravelle feels Premier Kathleen Wynne provided a balanced Speech from the Throne.  Gravelle says there was something for everyone in the speech from the throne and hopes the opposition parties will support it.  Gravelle is also happy Wynne talked about the transportation and energy needs for the Ring of Fire project.  In her first throne speech Tuesday, Wynne promised they would give local residents more say in whether they get a wind farm, gas plant or casino.

More FedNor Money Announced

FedNor Minister Tony Clement is spreading the wealth on his visit to Thunder Bay today.  PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise is using 1.5 million dollars to offer workshops, training, coaching and mentoring activities to women entrepreneurs in Northwestern Ontario.  The training will be provided to women across the region via video conferencing and traveling.

Heritage Week In T.Bay

The City is celebrating local history during heritage week.  Part of the celebrations includes offering more access to the City archives.  A variety of events are planned this week including a lecture Thursday on restoring the heritage home called Windrose.  A special clay exhibit will also be available until Saturday at the Museum. 

Sleeping Giant Announces Bib #1

Organizers with the Sleeping Giant Loppet are getting ready for the March 2nd race. Bib #1 is going to Al Comeau who is an avid loppet competitor in the 50 km event and won his age group. Comeau is a retired Sleeping Giant Provincial Park Superintendent.

30 Year Old Facing Driving Charges

Thunder Bay Police are charging a 30 year old man with possession of stolen property, dangerous driving, fleeing police and driving while disqualified.  The charges come after Police tried to pull him over in the area of Secord and Pearl Street this past weekend.  Officers say he refused to stop and they gave chase.  The Iroquois Falls driver was later located on foot by uniform officers in the area of Banning Street and Dufferin Street.

Clement Takes On New Role With Ring Of Fire

FedNor Minister Tony Clement is publicly taking on federal responsibility for the Ring of Fire.  Clement says he's familiar with the work that needs to be done before the project can get off the ground.  Clement adds his main role is to listen to all interested parties and save decision-making until later.  He'll be meeting with First Nation leaders and other stakeholders tomorrow.

Police Look Into New Camera System

City Police want to put 100-thousand dollars towards purchasing a video recording system for its police officers.  Inspector Alan MacKenzie says the newer system sits on the officer's uniform and costs the same as buying a dash board camera.  MacKenzie says dash board cameras are limited in what they record.  MacKenzie and several officers are test driving the product and will be looking into what legal issues might arise from recording their conversation's with the public.

Airport Gets FedNor Cash

Thunder Bay's Airport is getting 1.5 million dollars from the Federal Government.  FedNor Minister Tony Clement made the announcement this morning.  The money will be used to expand the airport's industrial park.  Meanwhile, FedNor funds are also going towards the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Center.  They are using 739-thousand dollars to create a manufacturing lab. Another 680-thousand dollars is going towards two small businesses working on developing a digital mammography device.

School Rankings Out

The Fraser Institute is ranking Thunder Bay's elementary schools as average.  Most schools came in at 5.8 out of 10 just below the Provincial average of six.  Spokesperson Peter Cowley says Algonquin Avenue, St. Jude Catholic, and Westmount Public all are showing steady signs of decline in the rankings.  The rankings are based on the Provincial Government's standardized tests.

WinterFest A Hit

Event planners at City Hall are extremely happy with the first ever WinterFest at Prince Arthur's Landing yesterday.  Sophie Best says it went better than expected especially the snow sculptures. She estimates 5 thousand people came by the waterfront during the day and even more for the evening fireworks. Best says it's likely the event will be back next year with possibly more snow sculptures

Clement Visiting The Lakehead Today

Tony Clement, the Minister for FedNor will be in Thunder Bay today .  He's expected to make two key FedNor funding announcements.  Clement's first speaking engagement is at the Thunder Bay International Airport this morning.  He'll then speak at the Da Vinci Centre and attend another news conference at the P.A.R.O. Centre for Women's enterprises this afternoon.

WinterFest Set to Go at Prince Arthur's Landing

It's time to celebrate winter on the waterfront as the first ever WinterFest is being put on by the city at Prince Arthur's Landing.   Organizer Sophie Best says the highlight of the day will be the snow sculptures that have been in the works all weekend. Activities begin at 1 o'clock this afternoon and ends with a fireworks display at 8 pm.

Hope Classic Raises 155 Thousand

It's another impressive sum. This weekend saw 155 thousand dollars raised at the 17th Annual Bearskin Airlines Hope Classic. The event, which took place at the Fort William Curling Club, raises funds for the Linda Buchan Centre for Breast Screening and Assessment. The event has raised nearly two and a quarter million dollars since its inception.

Apartment Fire at 145 Cumming Street

An investigation continues into a fire that began early this morning in the city. The fire was contained in a vacant apartment building at 145 Cumming Street. A crew is still on the scene as they try to determine the cause. No one was injured as the building has been empty for some time.

NOMA Wants Better Physician Recruitment

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association says the province isn't helping in physician recruitment efforts. Vice-President Dave Canfield says several communities have lined up doctors to practice but stresses they are experiencing long delays in gaining provincial approval. Canfield says the current model is based on population. The Mayor of Kenora points to his community which has a size of 16-thousand people. He notes the true number is 30-thousand.

Rainy River Resources is On Target

Rainy River Resources says its on target with its plans to open an gold mining operation in the district. The company's has identified key objectives it intends to achieve in 2013. Spokesperson Indi Gopinathan says it includes continuing the search for more minerals. The company also intends to release a feasibility study by the summer.

Family Fishing Weekend

It's shaping up to be a perfect weekend for ice fishing in northwestern Ontario. You can fish for free as it's Family Fishing Weekend. No license is required today or Monday. The initiative is aimed at getting more young people interested in fishing. Approximately 1.3 million anglers fish in Ontario each year and spend 2.5 billion dollars in the province annually.

Patrick Sharp Surprises Woman

Thunder Bay's Patrick Sharp surprised a Chicago Blackhawk fan for Valentine's Day as part of a special promotion for the Illinois State Lottery.

Potential Changes to Environmental Species Act

Public support is needed to ensure forestry jobs remain in place in northern Ontario. That's the message behind a Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association campaign to keep proposed regulation changes in the Endangered Species Act in place. Vice-President Dave Canfield says the government can't buckle under an attack by environmentalists. Canfield says the changes strike a balance between protecting the environment and helping the forest industry.

MP Rickford Talks Student Summer Jobs

The Federal Government wants to see more students in the workplace. Kenora MP Greg Rickford is encouraging local businesses to apply for funding through the Canada Summer Jobs program, to help create student jobs. People between 15-30-years-old who are full time students and intend on returning to school the following year qualify for these job opportunities.

Conmee Hosting Family Fun Day Today

Conmee Township is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Although the celebrations began on January 1st, the activities are going on throughout the year, including the family fun day taking place today. Reeve Kevin Holland says activities are taking place at the Conmee Community Centre. Holland says there will also be a family bonfire.

OPP Move Worthwhile In Kenora

It's been several years since Kenora  handed over policing services to the Ontario Provincial Police.   It's a move that our Mayor Hobbs is openly discussing for Thunder Bay.  Kenora Mayor Dave Canfield says in his community it has been a worthwhile move...so far.   Canfield says in 2014 the OPP will become the highest paid police service in the province, and they don't know what the impact will be yet.

No Injuries After Apartment Fire

Fire damage is limited to the bedroom of a 7th floor apartment at 335  Adelaide Street in Current River after a blaze that took place just before noon Friday.   The cause is not known and no one is hurt because the apartment wasn't occupied at the time

Provincial Grants For Three Businesses

Three local businesses are benefiting from provincial government grants totalling over 400 thousand dollars.    The bulk of that, 300 thousand, is going to Nu-Tech Metals to allow the company to expand its shop.   Gollat Contracting is getting over 80 thousand dollars for renovations while Unveiled Bridal Boutique is getting 25 thousand dollars for improvements.

WinterFest About To Begin

It's time to celebrate winter on the waterfront as the first ever WinterFest is being put on by the city at Prince Arthur's Landing on Family Day.   Organizer Sophie Best says the highlight of the day will be the snow sculptures that  will be worked on this weekend. There will also be all kinds of outdoor snow activities including a toboggan hill, curling and pond hockey along with the skating rink.  Activities begin at 1 o'clock Monday afternoon and ends with a fireworks display at 8 pm.

No Stand Alone Building For New Cyclotron

Hospital officials are saying they are saving over 1 million dollars by housing a new piece of medical equipment in the building next to the Health Sciences Centre which is currently under construction.   They say the savings come from not building a new stand alone building for the new cyclotron which is expected to be ready to make isotopes by the spring of next year.  

Angelman Syndrome Awareness Day

It's a condition that is so rare that only three children have it in Thunder Bay. It's called Angelman Sydrome and Leia Portfors is one of the Mothers of a child who has the neuro-genetic disorder which affects both sexes. Today marks the first annual International Angelman Awareness Day.   

Woman's Death Ruled Not Criminal

The Death of a 23 year old Kasabonika Lake First Nation woman is not the result of any criminal offence. That's the conclusion of an O.P.P. investigation after Nishnawbe-Aski Police asked the O.P.P. to step in and assist. Lena Anderson died while in police custody on February 1st of this year. Meanwhile the Regional Coroner's Office says an inquest will be conducted to review the circumstances surrounding the incident.

City Man Wins Big At Grand Portage

One Thunder Bay man is celebrating a huge winfall. A long-time patron of Grand Portage Lodge and Casino won a whopping 330-thousand dollars U.S. on a progressive slot machine on Tuesday. It's believed to be the second largest payout in the casino's history and the man, who wanted to remain anonymous, said "It's going to make life a whole lot easier."

Bordercats Announce Five Players

The Thunder Bay Bordercats are announcing their first five players committed for the upcoming season. Outfielders Cory Kay and Tyler Duplantis are coming back for another year. The team also signed shortstop Joey Hawkins, third baseman Jason Vosler and pitcher Jordan Church. The team will play their home opener on June 1st.

Thunderwolves Hockey Team Faces Elimination

The Lakehead University Thunderwolves hockey team are facing elimination Friday night in game two of their series against Waterloo. The team fell 7-2 in the opener of their O.U.A. quarter-final on the road and will now need a pair of wins at home in front of the Gardens faithful. Interim Coach Mike Busniuk says everything that could've gone wrong for the Thunderwolves did in game one and they'll have to re-focus quickly in order to stay in the playoffs.

L.U. Volleyball Team Heads Into Playoffs

It's a one game elimination playoff and anything can happen. The Lakehead University women's volleyball team are back in the post-season for the first time in seven years and travel to York for a game on Saturday night at 6 o'clock. The 9-9 Thunderwolves are the underdogs playing the 17-1 Lions but did win 6 of their last 8 games and are coming off an upset of the #4 ranked team in the country, Ottawa, last weekend.

L.U. Wrestlers Head For Provincials

The O.U.A. wrestling championships begin tomorrow in St. Catherines. Lakehead University Head Coach Brock Curtis says the women will be in the running for a provincial title with their toughest competition coming from Western and hosts Brock University. Weigh-ins are today and Curtis says the men's team will try and qualify at least five wrestlers to move on to the national championships from this weekend.