Buses Pulled Off The Street

All city buses are off the streets because of today's snowstorm. A city official says  the buses will resume normal operations a 6 o'clock tomorrow morning.

Trans Canada Highway Closed

A winter storm warning remains in effect.   The storm is causing white out conditions here in the city and outside the city.  OPP say that due to extremely icy conditions Highway 11/17 from Thunder Bay to Ignace is close as is Highway 102 .   In the city police say that John Street Road is closed between Community Hall Road and Mapleward Road because of downed power lines.   The Municipality of Neebing has pulled their plowing equipment off the roads until the weather improves.

Boston Is A "Ghost Town"

A former Dryden resident is stuck in a Boston hotel as the City is in lockdown mode. A massive manhunt is underway for a 19-year-old man involved in Monday's twin bombing attack at the Boston Marathon. Andrea Henderson is visiting the city and she says Boston has turned into a ghost town. Businesses and schools are closed and all public transit isn't running.

Police Release Robbery Video

Police are now releasing video of last night's Mac's Convenience Store robbery on Simpson Street.   It shows a man  with his face covered and carrying a knife and appearing to make demands.   The suspect made away with money and cigarettes.  No one was hurt.

Breaking News>Boston Under Lockdown

It's a fluid situation in Boston as police search for the 19 year old suspect in Monday's Boston Marathon bombing.   The city on lockdown as heavily armed officers search for the
man, who they say is a terrorist who is out to kill.  Stay tuned to the Magic 99.9  for any breaking developments on this story.

Summer Jobs Program Back On

The provincial government is setting up it's summer jobs program for students.  MPP Michael Gravelle says the highlight is a 2 dollar an hour hiring incentive for employers when they hire students aged 15- 30 years old. The deadline for employers to apply is April 30th.

Latest OLG Dividend Is 500 K

More casino cash for City Hall coffers.   The latest payment from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is 570 thousand dollars.  The money is a quarterly payout and is 5 per cent of the revenues from the slot machines in the facility.

LCBO Rally In Thunder Bay

Union employees of the LCBO are holding an information picket today during the lunch hour.  They'll be rallying outside the Fort William Road LCBO store in support of their bargaining team's negotiations with the Crown-owned company.  On April 9, LCBO workers voted 95 per cent in favour of strike action should contract talks break down.  The main issues in negotiations include wages and benefits, job security and improved health and safety standards.

Simpson Street Mac's Robbed

No one was hurt in an armed robbery last night at the Mac's Convenience Store on Simpson Street.  Police are looking for a man they say entered the store with his face covered and carrying a knife. The suspect made away with money and cigarettes.

Winter Storm Warning

There's a winter storm warning in effect for the City.  Environment Canada Meterologist Desjanelle Matthews says its going to be a messy day with blowing snow.  Matthews says at the Airport they reported the City getting 5 to 10 centimeters of snow last night.  We will have a snow free weekend but on Monday could see snow or rain. 

No Flood Concerns Inspite Of Snow

So far so good. The head of the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority says there is no need to worry about flooding even with our snowy spring. Bill Bartley says temperatures are ideal for a spring melt with cool nights and warm days.  Bartley says with rain expected next week,  officials will keep an eye out for possible area flooding.

Birth Control Recall Leads To Legal Action

Thunder Bay Lawyer Chris Watkins is going up against pharmaceutical giant Apotex.  He is serving notice of a 800 million dollar class action lawsuit against the company who just issued a recall of the birth control pill Alysena.   Watkins is representing a local woman in the legal action, but says the suit is on behalf of all women who took the pill and could now be  facing an unwanted pregnancy or be fearing an unwanted pregnancy.  None of the claims have been proven in court.  There has been no response from the company to our request for a comment.

Noonan Accepts NDP Post

The new president of the Thunder Bay-Superior North provincial NDP Riding Association is David Noonan.  He says job one is to win a seat for candidate Andrew Foulds in the Ontario Legislature in an expected upcoming provincial election.Noonan also hopes to increase party membership in the riding.

Con College Gets Mostly Good Report Card

Confederation College is tooting its own horn.  They're celebrating mostly good marks in the Ontario Key Performance Indicators Report.  The report ranks Con College number one of all Ontario colleges for employer satisfaction.  The report also identified a decline in graduation rates from last year.

Tattoo Operation Shut Down

Thunder Bay's Health Unit is shutting down a local tattoo operation.  They've issued an order against Dale Doucet to stop providing uninspected home-based tattooing services.  The illegal tattoo services were offered at various home-based locations in the City.  It's not known how many people were tattooed by Doucet and if you were please contact the health unit.

Highway 11/17 Closed Accident

Highway 11/17 is closed between the highway 102 junction and Shabaqua.   OPP are on the scene dealing with a jackknifed transport that's blocking the road.  Highway 11 / 17 will be closed until the tractor trailer can be removed from the highway.

Boat Fire Brought Quickly Under Control

No injuries are being reported from a tug boat fire at Keefer Terminal.  Thunder Bay fire were called to the blaze that was quickly extinguished yesterday afternoon.  Crews found the fire in the furnace area of the boat.

Dump Truck Incident Leads To No Charges

A 50 year old man passed out due to a medical condition before ploughing his dump truck into a mobile home on Chippewa Road.  No charges are being laid in the Monday afternoon event.  Police are reminding drivers that medical conditions that can affect the ability to safely operate a vehicle will cause a review process and may result with possible suspension of driving privileges.

"Working For A Solution"

Controversy continues to swirl around the money for May 28th flood victims. MPP Michael Gravelle understands that there's a lot of people angry because the province is only kicking in 300 thousand dollars instead of matching local donations 2 to 1. He says he's working for a solution with the minister of Municipal Affairs Linda Jeffery.  Gravelle says he is making it a top priority to increase the amount available to the victims.

A Community "Under Crisis"

The Neskantaga First Nation (Landsdowne House) north of Thunder Bay is declaring a state-of-emergency. They say it comes following another suicide in the community, the second in a matter of a week, and the fourth suicide and seventh tragic death in a year. They say there have also been 20 other attempts. First Nation councillor Roy Moonias says they have reached a breaking point and the community is under crisis.

Horwath Slams Government Over Disaster Funding

The province's NDP leader is slamming the Wynne government for its handling of the disaster relief funding. Andrea Horwath says it's unacceptable that donations for victims of the May 28th flooding are not being matched 2 to 1. Horwath says if someone has dropped the ball on this issue they had "damn well better pick it up in a hurry."   She says it's the least the victims deserve.

Shaving Heads For Cancer

Sharon Bolen shaving Brad Comuzzi's head

Thunder Bay Police and the local Cancer Society are hosting the 17th anniversary Cops for Cancer head shaving event. Fundraising coordinator, Laara Losier explains that anyone can be a part of this event. The event takes place Saturday May 11th at the Intercity Mall outside of the old Zellers entrance.

Fletcher Addresses Funding Concerns

The head of the city's Disaster Relief Committee says it's not possible to give back money donated to victims of the May 28th flood. Wayne Fletcher says even though the funding is not being matched at 2 to 1 by the province, returning any money is a non-starter. He says there have already been tax receipts issued and it would be impossible to return smaller cash donations. Meantime Fletcher says while the committee knew it was a possibility the province might not match donations 2 to 1, they never thought it was probable.

Locals Nabbed In Dryden Bust

Three Thunder Bay residents are in trouble with the law in Dryden.  Police say three people were arrested last night following a routine traffic stop.  Officers found a large quantity of cocaine, morphine, hash oil, marijhuana, crack and ritalin as well as other property obtained by crime.  Police say the accused, 2-women and 1-man appeared in court earlier today.

City Working On Local Food Strategy

The city is taking in a local food procurement workshop this afternoon.  It will focus on bringing food from the farm into organizations such as schools and city hall.  Health Unit Spokesperson Catherine Schwartz Mendez says the workshop is taking place today with the President of Local Food Plus speaking. The event is being held at the Regional Food Distribution Association.

Public Board Comments On Confessions Page

A top educator in the city says it's concerning how high school students are using Facebook. Joan Powell of the Catholic School Board is reacting to news that some students are writing defamatory posts about fellow students and teachers.   Powell can't say what possible action they might take.

Diabetes EXPO This Afternoon

The Canadian Diabetes Association will be holding it's 2013 diabetes EXPO this afternoon at the DaVinci Centre. The EXPO will provide local diabetes information and tools to help manage and improve overall health. A key note speaker will talk about islet cell transplant therapy.

Pentti Lund Passes

The Executive Director of the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame is remembering the contributions of Thunder Bay's Pentti Lund. The former Boston Bruins and New York Rangers player passed away yesterday at the age of 87.  Diane Imrie  says the local hockey community lost a legend.   She says Lund was always willing to help her organization when it came to teaching young people about the history of the game in this region.  Funeral arrangements are pendings.

Local Marathon Officials Ponder Security

Officials with Thunder Bay's annual marathon says it's too early to discuss security issues in the wake of the Boston Marathon explosions.   Charla Robinson says they will be looking at the process and reviewing protocols, but they will watch to see what unfolds in the Boston investigation.

"Horrible Feeling" Says Local Witness

The horror of yesterday's Boston Marathon bombings is still etched in the mind of Thunder Bay's Deb Frederickson.  She crossed the finish line two minutes before the two explosions and says after that it was pandemonium.  Frederickson says people were screaming and others were trying to herd people out of the area and there was lots of chaos. She calls it a horrible feeling.  As for other Thunder Bay marathon participants,  Marcia Migay says security at her Boston hotel was beefed up after the tragedy, Susan McDonald says her only concern was finding her son Ryan McDonald while Ryan admits he is still shaken up by the events.

Cause Of Crash Remains Mystery

Police still don't know what happened to cause a dump truck to slam into a mobile home on Chippewa Road yesterday.  They say they are still working to find out the cause.    A 71 year old woman who was injured in the incident at the Totem Trailer Park was treated and released from hospital.

Rotary Exchange Underway

The Rotary Clubs of Thunder Bay are hosting a group of young professionals from Finland.   The Rotary's Jill Zachary says it's part of a yearly exercise where teams from one country stay with Rotary families in another.   The group will be visiting the district for the next five weeks.

New Policing Model Coming Soon

The local police force will be moving towards a new policing model in the fall.  Inspector Sylvie Hauth says they've divided up the City and Oliver Paipoonge into six zones.  Hauth says it means officers will go to work each day in the same part of the City and one side won't be more busy than another.  The new zone policing model starts in September and includes a 6 officer domestic violence unit.

Zone Watch Accepting Applications

Police are starting to accept applications for their new community based policing program called "Zone Watch".  The neighbourhood watch style program is internet based and is similar to Facebook but more secure.  Spokesperson Chris Adams says you can apply through their new website at www.thunderbaypolice.ca

Police Now On Twitter

Thunder Bay Police are going to start tweeting today.  Spokesperson Chris Adams says there will be plenty of information to be found on their three twitter feeds.  They will soon launch a traffic information twitter account, the Chief will have his own feed and they'll also tweet news releases from @tbpsmedia.

Earthwise Is Now EarthCare

EarthWise Thunder Bay is now EarthCare.   City councillors have voted to accept the name change because the city environment group ran into a copyright issue with the original name.   Another group in southern Ontario already had rights to the moniker.

Philp Says Thunder Bay Runners OK

It appears there are no Thunder Bay casualties in yesterday's explosion at the Boston Marathon.  Around 8 local residents were taking part in the run including Warren Philp.  Philp says the Thunder Bay contingent is safe and they hope to be able to catch their flights sometime today which might be hard given the heightened security.

Committee Hits Funding Snag

If the funding rules stay the same the city may not get the 2 for 1 funding from the province for disaster relief.   Chair Wayne Fletcher says the way the eligibility rules stand now we will only be getting 20 cents for every dollar raised, but he hopes that will change after talks with the province. Fletcher says as it stands now we will only be getting 300 thousand dollars from the province instead of 3 million

One Injured In Dump Truck Crash

At least one person is injured following an accident on Chippewa Road this afternoon.  An emergency official says that a dump truck went off the road and crash into a mobile home trailer at the Totem Trailer Park.  Fire Platoon Chief Larry Warner  says that one woman inside the mobile home had to be extracated.  Her injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

Shell Robbery On Red River Road

A 19 year old man is charged with robbery in relation to an incident at the Shell Gas Bar on Red River Road March 17th. Just before 9:00 a.m. on April 13th detectives took a man into custody from a north side residence. He recently appeared in court.

Police Seek Hit And Run Driver

Thunder Bay Police are looking for an early 2000's dark Ford pick up truck with a white topper. They believe that vehicle was involved in a hit and run over the weekend. Around 10 o'clock Saturday night a car was westbound on Southern Avenue and began to turn left onto Brodie Street when it was struck on the drivers side by a truck also traveling westbound on Southern Avenue. The wanted truck will have front end damage most likely to the passenger side. The driver of the car was sent to the hospital and later released.

Mirabelli Pumped About Trudeau Victory

Fresh off an election, Justin Trudeau will be in the House today for his first Question Period as the head of the Liberals. President of the Liberal Thunder Bay Superior North Riding Association Vince Mirabelli says its refreshing to hear Trudeau say he won't focus on the negative aspects of politics. Mirabelli took in the election in Ottawa this weekend and says Trudeau will bring the youth vote to his party.

13 Collisions In 48 Hours

Thunder Bay police are being kept busy today, as there have been 13 collisions in the past 48 hours. Drivers are cautioned to be careful at intersections and watch for pedestrians. The snow plows will be out in full force today, trying to keep the roads safe and clean.

Local Red Cross Gets Cash

A local business is donating 2-thousand dollars to the Red Cross. Spokesperson Marge Buhler says they think highly of every donation they receive. Slightly Off Broadway Studio held a fundraising event for the organization earlier this year.

Boshcoff Says Trudeau Election Exciting

Former Liberal MP Ken Boshcoff says Justin Trudeau will re-energize the party.  Boshcoff was in Ottawa this weekend for the Federal Liberal Leadership Convention and says Trudeau's star power will help bring his party back.  Boshcoff says Trudeau has visited the Northwest several times and thinks his election as leader will bode well for the region.

Rural School Bus Routes Cancelled

The wicked weather has forced some schools to close down today.  Crestview, Five Mile, Gorham and Ware, Kakabeka Falls, McKenzie, Norwester View, Valley Central and Whitefish Valley are all closed today.  Lakehead Public Schools are cancelling the rural portions of school bus routes serving urban schools.  Thunder Bay Catholic and French Catholic rural school bus routes are cancelled for the day.

Transferring Patients Becoming An Issue

Transferring non-emergency patients from one location to another is becoming more and more of an issue for local paramedics.Their boss Norm Gale is going before city councillors tonight asking for direction on how to handle a problem that stretches their ability to handle real emergencies. Galehopes his visit to City Hall will be the beginning of finding an answer.

EMS Looking To Donate Ambulance

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine and the local branch of St. John Ambulance could receive a retired ambulance from Superior North EMS. EMS would like to give them an ambulance each but first Council must approve the donation at tonight's meeting.

Possible Earthwise Name Change

A name change could be in store for Earthwise Thunder Bay tonight. City Council will vote on whether or not to rebrand the group to EarthCare Thunder Bay. Councillor Rebecca Johnson doesn't foresee anyone having a problem with the new name and logo.The name Earthwise was already being used by a company in Southern Ontario and Council decided last year to look for a different name rather than pay to use the existing one.

Final Mining Strategy Meeting Tonight

One more chance for you to comment on the City and Fort William First Nation's Mining Readiness Strategy. A public information session similar to last week's at the Community Auditorium will be held tonight at the Fort William First Nation's Community Hall. The joint plan is meant to get the two communities ready for the upcoming mining boom.

Safe Homes Program Looking For Help

The City is asking the Provincial Government to help pay for their 4 million dollar "Safe Homes Program". The program was put in place in June to help clean up and repair homes impacted by the May 28th flood. General Manager of Facilities, Fleet and Transit Michael Smith says they're hoping the Province will dole out some cash. During that time the City helped fix up 472 properties.