Fire Hits Vacant House

No one is hurt following a fire in a vacant house on the 100 block of Finlayson Street just off of Simpson Street behind the old Gilbert's Furniture store.   Firefighters were called to the scene at around 8 o'clock this morning.   The cause is not known, but it is the second fire in an abandoned building in that area of the city in the last week.

Driver Of Mini Van Dies

The 21 year old man involved in a serious accident on Wednesday morning has died from injuries sustained in the crash.  Police are reporting Matthew Hakala of Thunder Bay died in hospital after his mini van collided with a front end loader on John Street Road Wednesday. Officers are continuing with their investigation of the incident.  

OSSTF Could Resume After School Activities

We soon could see after school activities back at area high schools.  The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation released a statement Friday afternoon says local leaders voted to suspend political action related to its labour dispute with the Liberal Government.  The OSSTF is encouraging members to consider resuming extracurricular duties.

First Northern Cabinet Meeting March 1st

Sault Ste. Marie is the location of the Provincial Government's first cabinet meeting in the North.  The meeting will be held March 1st and will address northern issues. Mayor Keith Hobbs had wanted the Premier to hold the meeting in Thunder Bay.

Commisso Says Staff Receiving Threats

City staff are receiving serious threats.  City manager Tim Commisso says in the past year there have been threats made and they've called the police to look into the matter.

Rickford Says He's A Team Player

A bit of a surprise on the federal government front.  Prime Minister Stephen Harper has named Bernard Valcourt as the new Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, leaving Kenora MP Greg Rickford remaining standing on the side-line.  Rickford says he's a team player and will continue in his role as Parliamentary Secretary for Aboriginal Affairs.

Boys & Girls Club Taxes Up For Debate

City Council could decide what to do with the Boys and Girls Club and their outstanding property taxes Monday night.  They'll vote on whether or not to explore funding options for the group through the City's Charitable Rebate Program.  Councillor Paul Pugh says it's a tough decision to make.  The charity is facing taxes for the first time since the Municipal Property Tax Corporation didn't exempt their new Windsor Street property.

Leadership Training For Aboriginal Youth

15 aboriginal students are enrolled in the Urban Aboriginal Strategy's new leadership training course.  Spokesperson Frances Wesley says they hope the program will be successful and be back for another session in September.  Leadership Thunder Bay is a partner in the training and the Ontario Trillium Foundation provided 43-thousand dollars towards the pilot project.

Local Sports Roundup

Lakehead's track team will be in action at the OUA Championships today.  In total 12 Thunderwolves will be competing in various events in Windsor.  Meanwhile, Lakehead University Men’s and Women’s Nordic Ski teams are excited to be on home turf vying for another OUA Championship title this weekend at Lappe Nordic Ski Centre.

Province Announces Addiction Services

The provincial government wants to improve access to addiction services for First Nations communities.  Ontario will provide 1.5 million dollars in ongoing annual funding to support five new Community Wellness Development Teams, and to increase the use of tele-medicine equipment in treatment centers.  This will allow health care providers to conference with patients in remote communities to enhance addictions treatments.

T.Bay's Inflation Rate Stays The Same

Thunder Bay's inflation rate stayed put at 0.3 percent last month.  Statistics Canada says Canada's national annual inflation rate was 0.5 per cent in January.

Save The ELA Picks Up Steam

The provincial government is being asked to help save the Experimental Lakes area, west of Vermilion Bay.  Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Sarah Campbell has made that plea in the Ontario Legislature.  The ELA is scheduled to close at the end of next month unless the federal government can find a buyer or some outside agency to operate it. 

Dryden Police Cutbacks

The Dryden Police Service is looking to save where they can.  Chief Rob Davis says they were able to save 300 thousand dollars in the initial draft of the budget, but they will still be asking for a 14 thousand dollar increase.  Davis says they will be making changes to the guard position.  Davis says they also plan on extending the life of their cruisers by refurbishing them.

Jury Rolls Report Released Tuesday

A long awaited report on the jury roll system in Ontario will be released next week.  Former Ontario Superior Court judge, Frank Iacobucci was asked to look at how to better get aboriginal representation on jury rolls.  His report will be released in Thunder Bay on Tuesday.  He was asked by the Attorney General back in August of 2011 to look at ways of getting aboriginals living on a reserve included on provincial jury rolls. 

Foulds To Seek Provincial NDP Nomination

City Councillor Andrew Foulds is seeking the Provincial NDP nomination in the Thunder Bay-Superior North riding. Foulds says if he is succesful in winning the position, he'll be ready to take on current MPP Michael Gravelle.  He adds he wants to be Thunder Bay's Queen's Park champion.  The nomination meeting will be held March 14th. 

Minnesota Street Fire

Thunder Bay Fire Crews are working on a fire at a home on Minnesota Street.   Spokesperson Les Newman says the fire is in the back of the house.  The fire has moved into part of the attic and crews believe it started in an electrical panel.  The power has been turned off as a precaution.  Newman says there wasn't anyone home at the time the fire started.

Council To Consider Solar Project Support

City Council is going to hear from a solar company at it's Monday night meeting.  GTE Solar will be talking about their proposed solar facility on Dawson Road.  They'll be asking for Council's support in the Provincial Power Authority approval process.  Other topics up for discussion include continued support for the Urban Aboriginal Strategy. 

Con College Gives Out Bursaries

Confederation College is helping out 360 existing students.  An awards recognition ceremony is being held tonight and will see over 142-thousand dollars in scholarships and bursaries doled out.  The money is to be used during the upcoming school year and came from donors to the college foundation.

RBC Innovation Awards

The RBC Innovation Awards are back for another year.  This year's winners include Hero of the Year Dr. Mathew Leitch and Company of the year KBM Resources Group.  The awards were handed out Thursday afternoon.

Campbell Talks NDP Budget Demands

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell says the N-D-P has a number of demands for the upcoming budget.  Campbell says their demands come from people throughout the province.  Some of the priorities include ending corporate tax loopholes, and changes to auto insurance.

Meeting With 3 Cabinet Ministers

The Mayor is leading a contingent to Toronto this week for the annual Good Roads Association conference.  So far, they are meeting with three Provincial Cabinet Ministers.  Keith Hobbs says first up is new Energy Minister Bob Chiraelli.  They'll also meet with Health Minister Deb Mattews and Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Glenn Murray.

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.