Violent Night On The South Side

City police say that a 28 year old Thunder Bay man is in custody facing charges of robbery and threats to kill.  It follows an attack on two men just after midnight on the 300 Block of South Syndicate Avenue.   The suspect was arrested a short distance away.  Police say it was a random assault.

Councillor Stands Up For Arbitrator's Ruling

Not everyone is upset that the city has come on the wrong side of a recent firefighters arbitration decision on sick leave payouts.  City staff says that it's costing  money that wasn't budgeted for.   City Manager Tim  Commisso believes the arbitrator's decision is largely based on factors in Southern Ontario and doesn't reflect the realities of the north.  Councillor Paul Pugh disagrees with the idea that the city should pressure the province to set conditions on arbitrators so we don't get dinged so hard.  Pugh says  that's trampling on the rights of working people especially those who's bargaining rights have been taken away by legislation.

Students Plead For Fair Trade Designation

Grade Six students at Ogden School want Thunder Bay to become a Fair Trade City.  They say they were disturbed by the recent garment factory tragedy in Bangladesh and they did some homework on the issue.  They discovered that the movement started in the United Kingdom.  Under a fair trade strategy the city would agree to only do business with countries that treat their workers fairly.  City administration will be writing a report on the proposal. 

Police Seek Hit And Run Driver

City police are on the lookout for the driver of a tractor trailer after a hit and run on the weekend.  Sgt. Glenn Porter says it took place in the parking lot of the Landmark Inn on Dawson Road at 4 am Saturday morning.    He says it appears that as the driver rounded a corner the tractor trailer hooked on to a  minivan which in turn smashed into three other vehicles as it was being dragged along.  A surveillance camera captured the incident. Transport Hit And Run on PhotoPeach

Coroner To Hear Requests For Standing

An inquest into the deaths of seven Aboriginal youths in Thunder Bay takes a major step forward today.   Coroner Dr. Michael Wilson is holding a hearing to listen to those people who believe they have a right to take part in the process. Wilson says not everyone who asks can be granted standing.  He says that privilege will go to anyone with a direct interest in the outcome. The hearing begins at 10 am at the Ontario Government building on Red River Road.

Police Probe Hit And Run

City police are on the lookout for the driver of a tractor trailer after a hit and run on the weekend.  Sgt. Glenn Porter says it took place in the parking lot of the Landmark Inn on Dawson Road at 4 am Saturday morning.    He says it appears that as the driver rounded a corner the tractor trailer hooked on to a  minivan which in turn smashed into three other vehicles as it was being dragged along.  A surveillance camera captured the incident. Transport Hit And Run on PhotoPeach

Mac's Robbed At Knifepoint

City police are looking for one person following the robbery of the Mac's Store at Balsam and River Streets.  They say it happened at around sunrise this morning when a man armed with a knife made off with a small amount of money and cigarettes.  No one is hurt. 

Fire Guts City Home

Two people are said to be safe after a late morning south side house fire. It broke out just before 11 o'clock at 848 Minnesota Street.  Eyewitness Chris Davidson was passing by in his vehicle when he noticed the fire and called 9-11.  He says two men were standing outside the home as thick smoke was pouring out.  He says they appeared ok and their pet cat was rescued..   The cause of the fire is not known.

Housing Starts Up

There's been a jump in housing starts from April to May in Thunder Bay.  The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation released it's latest figures this morning that show we had 318 new units up from 292 the previous month.

Drowning At Cummins Lake

Thunder Bay OPP are reporting the drowning death of a 76 year old man at Cummins Lake in Jacques Township.  Ernest Rumpel went out in his canoe with his German Shepard Saturday afternoon.  It's believed the dog rocked the canoe capsizing it, knocking Rumpel out of the boat.  He was not wearing his life jacket and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Boat Collision Sends People To Hospital

OPP are still investigating Saturday's small boat collision on Lake Superior near Red Rock.  The boat struck a reef near St. Ignace Island and sustained major damage.  A 37 year old man was sent to Thunder Bay Hospital with some injuries.  Two other people from Toronto were treated and released from Nipigon Hospital with less serious injuries.

Grease Fire Forces Man From Apartment

A grease fire in a south side apartment has forced the tenant out of his home.  The incident occurred last night on Lincoln Street saw a stove top fire that melted plastic furniture and damaged the floor.  The tenant will be staying with his brother until its safe to return.

Weekend Forest Fires

It was a busy weekend for Ministry of Natural Resources fire crews.  28-new forest fires were reported over the weekend in northwestern Ontario.  Most of the fires were in the Sioux Lookout, Nipigon and Thunder Bay districts.  The Ministry of Natural Resources is paying close attention to a lightning-cased fire about 35-kilometres east of Summer Beaver.  The blaze is 15-hundred hectares and is burning near several cabins in the area.

Fire Fighters Sick Leave Contract Awarded

City Manager Tim Commisso is going to tell Council tonight what the financial impacts will be from a recent Fire Fighters arbitration award.  The City is on the hook for 170 thousand dollars and an additional 3-thousand dollars per retired firefighter.  Councillor Rebecca Johnson says she takes issue with an arbitrator making decisions that the City will have to pay for.  The sick leave payouts go back to 2008 and involve 62 Fire Fighters.

State Of Emergency Remains

The City remains under a state of emergency despite the one year anniversary of the May 28th flood that's come and gone.  It's because the advisory can't be lifted until the City can settle all of the matters related to the spring 2012 flood of the Atlantic Avenue Water Treatment Plant.  Council will be renewing their engineering contracts for the plant at tonight's meeting.

Watermain Upgrades Up For Vote

The Northwood area could be seeing some upgrades to their storm sewer and watermain systems.  Council is going to vote tonight on whether or not to approve a million dollar contract with Prime Terra Group.  The work if approved will take place around the James Street, Limbrick areas.

Cabaret On Bay

The Finlandia Hall is going to be transported back in time to the years of cabaret shows.  Cabaret on Bay is taking place this Saturday and will feature side show acts, burlesque and live music.  Organizer Zoe Gordon says there's something for everyone and that includes someone lying on a bed of nails while another smashes a brick onto their stomach.  Tickets are available at High Tide Tattoo, Calico Coffee and the Scandinavian Deli.  

Thunder Bay Resident Helps Out In Africa

A Thunder Bay resident is headed to Uganda for the next six months. Conrad Koczorowski is headed to Africa with nine other Canadians to help improve the health of mothers and their children. This is part of an internship with the African Medical and Research Foundation, with support from the Canadian International Development Agency.

Several Roads Closed

The City is warning motorists about some temporary road closures this weekend. Waverly Street from Red River Road to Banning Street, and Waverley Street from Banning Street to Algoma will be closed. Also today until six the intersection of Secord Street and Park Avenue will be closed for the George Jeffrey Soap Box Races.

Pride Week Begins Today

 It's Pride Week in the city where the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered community put themselves in the spotlight. Organizer Cynthia Olsen says it's important to recognize because homophobia is alive and well. Next week the organization will host the city's first ever Pride Parade.

Police Crack Down On Speeders

Thunder Bay Police are continuing to nab speeders in the construction zone on the Harbour Expressway .   The latest numbers from Friday show there were 68 tickets given out for those who disobeyed the reduced speed limit in the zone. In one case, the driver was going over 100 kilometers an hour, and that allowed police to seize the vehicle for 7 days under the province's stunt driving law.  The person's driver's licence was also suspended. Police say they won't stop enforcement until drivers start slowing down on that section of city roadway.

Police Ask For Help To I.D. Suspect

Thunder Bay police are looking to identify the person in this surveillance video from a May 26th break in to Tim's Meats at Empress Avenue and John Street.   They say the person got away with a large quantity of cigarettes after putting them in a garbage can.   It's also believed a vehicle was used to pull open the door from the front of the building.

Accidents Keep Emergency Crews Busy

Court Street

A motorcycle rider is recovering from his injuries following a collision with a pick up truck.  Police say it happened at the corner of Court Street and McIntyre Friday afternoon.  Police have charged the pick up truck driver.   That was just one of several mishaps, none with serious injuries,  that took place within a span of about 4 hours.   One was a two car collision at May and Cameron, another was a three vehicle smash up at Brown and Frances and a two car collision at Frankwood and Montgomery in which one of the cars also hit a house.  

NOSM Summer Camp Coming

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is looking for high school students with an interest in medicine. Dean Doctor Roger Strasser says they are again offering their Summer Health Sciences Camps at Lakehead University. The free camp runs from July 8th to 12th.

Lake Levels Stabilizing

From the region, Water levels on Lake of the Woods are starting to stabilize. The Lake of the Woods Control Board says the lake went up four inches in the past week The Board says outflow from the Norman Dam has more than tripled since the middle of May due to all the rainfall seen in the basin.

Soap Box Derby Today

It's a big fundraising weekend for one local charity.    The George Jeffery Children's Foundation is holding its annual soap box derby at Waverley Park.   Last year the event raised over 25 thousand dollars.  The money goes to pay for programs at the Children's Treatment Centre.

Work Continues At Gas Leak Site

Road and repair work continues following the gas line leak that occurred on Thursday at Red River Road.   The city says Red River Road is open at Hill Street, but restricted to local residential and business traffic between Summit Avenue and Rupert Street. The road is expected to reopen fully Saturday, once all work is complete.

Man Busted With Illegal Cigs

A man caught speeding on Highway 17 in the Dryden area is in trouble with the law. Officers stopped a minivan and conducted a search of the vehicle. Police found a large amount of illegal tobacco.   A 45 year old man  has been charged with possession of unmarked cigarettes. He's due in court on August 13th.

House Damaged After Collision

No one is reported to be hurt following a two vehicle accident in the Academy Heights area.   Police say it happened just before 1 o'clock this afternoon at the intersection of Frankwood and Montgomery.  They say after the collision one of the vehicles crashed into a house.   It's the second accident this week that involved a vehicle hitting a house.

Toilet Fundraiser Hits Waterfront

A lone toilet on the outside the Mariners Hall  on the waterfront is causing some curiosity this afternoon.  Turns out the biffy is part of  Cancer Society fundraiser for Relay for Life.  

Road Work Season Here

It's that time of year again.  Construction season is underway in the City and several road projects are underway.  Projects include road and sidewalk rehabilitation, residential paving, sewer and water main repair, along with bridge work and streetlight renewal.

Thunder Bay Resident Helps Out In Africa

A Thunder Bay resident is headed to Uganda for the next six months. Conrad Koczorowski is headed to Africa with nine other Canadians to help improve the health of mothers and their children. This is part of an internship with the African Medical and Research Foundation, with support from the Canadian International Development Agency.

Stats Can Releases Jobless Rate

Thunder Bay's jobless rate went down in May.  According to Statistics Canada, our unemployment rate went from 6.4 percent to 6.  Canada's rate was 7.1 percent.

HWY 17 Fully Open

Highway 17 is finally open to both lanes of traffic near Wawa.  An early morning collision between a transport and a moose caused the highway to be closed to one lane for most of Thursday.

Missing Man Found Deceased

Provincial Police have found the body of a missing Minnesota man in Basswood Lake within Quetico Provincial Park.  The remains of 78-year-old Richard Barber were found yesterday by OPP and the Ministry of Natural Resources.  Richard and his wife Elaine were in the boundary of the park for a canoe trip when their canoe capsized.  Rescue crews were able to locate Elaine and return her safely to Atikokan.

Backhoe Responsible For Gas Leak

It appears a backhoe at a city works site is the cause of a natural gas leak in the city yesterday.  City official Darrell Matson says the sewer and water crew was doing maintenance on Red River Road and Rupert and that the tire of the backhoe hit the gas line.  He says the extent of the damage is not known  The leak forced the evacuation of several homes and buildings in the Mariday Park area for much of the midday and forced the closure of Red River Road.  Drivers are asked to avoid the area of the leak with some of the main streets around the site remain closed.

School Introduces Elders Program

A new program is being introduced in the fall by the Lakehead Public School Board.  It's called Elder in Residence, and it pairs elementary teachers with aboriginal elders who help the teachers prepare courses through the arts according to program expert Crystal Nielsen. The school board gave the public a sneak peak at Kingway Park School yesterday.

Con College Graduation Today

Over a thousand students will be graduating from Confederation College today. Registrar Marjorie Kinnunen says the graduating class is bigger than last years. The ceremony will include graduates from the aviation school, engineering, technology and trades, business, hospitality and media arts.

Backhoe Responsible For Gas Leak

It appears a backhoe at a city works site is the cause of a natural gas leak in the city  today.  City official Darrell Matson says the sewer and water crew was doing maintenance on Red River Road and Rupert and that the tire of the backhoe hit the gas line.  He says the extent of the damage is not known  The leak forced the evacuation of several homes and buildings in the Mariday Park area for much of the midday and forced the closure of Red River Road.

Mariday Park Emergency Is Over

The emergency is over on Red River Road.   Fire Chief John Hay says a natural gas leak at Rupert Street forced the evacuation of some Mariday Park residents for much of the midday today.  He now says however, that the leak has been stopped by Union Gas and that road repairs are underway.  He says all residents whose homes and buildings had to be evacuated can now return. A section of Red River Road had to be closed  during the emergency.

OPP Help Free Man From Heavy Machinery

A 60 year old man is recovering after a scary incident on Wednesday afternoon.  OPP say a man was moving gravel on Sunset Lake Road when his Kubota tractor rolled over and pinned him.  An officer and the man's neighbour helped free the man's leg from under the heavy piece of machinery.

Vehicle Lands In Ditch After Collision

A 60 year old man is charged with careless driving after a collision on Highway 11/17 in Oliver Paipoonge.  The driver of a west bound vehicle on highway 17 crossed the centre line yesterday afternoon hitting another vehicle in the east bound lane.  The collision caused the vehicle to become airborne and it landed on its roof in the ditch.  OPP say no one was injured.

Police Nab More Speeders On Expressway

It appears some people are not getting the message about speeding in construction zones.  City Police issued 76 speeding tickets to drivers on Wednesday for speeding in the construction area on the Harbour Expressway.  Police feel they would have pulled more people over for speeding if it had not been for the other collision related calls that pulled them away from enforcing the expressway.

Natural Gas Leak Update

A major emergency on the City's north side. A natural gas leak in the area of Red River Road and Rupert Street is causing some residents in the Mariday Park area to be evacuated.  The evacuation of local businesses and homes include a day care. Union Gas says they're working on repairing a break in their line.  In the meantime natural gas is still leaking until crews can dig a hole and reach the area damaged by excavation workers.  Red River Road is closed between Pine and Summit.   

Rafferty Not Surprised

Thunder Bay Rainy River MP John Rafferty says he wasn't surprised an Alberta MP quit the Conservative caucus over the Federal Government's lack of transparency.  Rafferty says it's not a shock to see Brent Rathgeber resign after his private member's bill was rewritten by a largely Conservative committee.  Rafferty says there are a lot of unhappy Conservative MPs and notes there's trouble in the ranks.

Natural Gas Leak Causes Evacuations

There's a natural gas leak on the City's North Side.   Fire Platoon Chief David Long says the City's public works department has hit a major gas line in the area of Red River Road and Rupert Street.  Red River Road is closed off at Hill Street.  Long says fire is evacuating some nearby buildings and homes.

City Transit Wins National Award

The City's transit service is receiving a national innovation award. The Canadian Urban Transit Association is impressed with the local transit's real time schedule and vehicle location information found on Tbaytel's Digital tv service.

Mental Health Awareness Ride In Town

A cross Canada bike ride promoting mental health and in memory of Hilary Werthmann is in Thunder Bay today. Her father Bill is riding across the country spreading Hilary's story. After Hilary took her own life, her father proposed the idea of taking her story across the country to reduce the stigma around mental health issues.

University Student Bikes Across Canada

A University Student riding across Canada is expected in Thunder Bay today. Kilderic Moroy is collecting environmental pledges. Moroy is asking people to promise they'll become more environmentally friendly.

Superior High School Donates Money To Charity

Superior Collegiate High School is wrapping up a fundraiser for the Northwestern Ontario Epilepsy  Association. They've raised almost 2 thousand dollars for the local epilepsy help group. The school is also promoting the 2nd Run for Epilepsy in August.

Children's Centre Director Steps Down

After 25 years at the helm of the Children's Centre in Thunder Bay, Executive Director Tom Walters is stepping down at the end of the year. Walters says he's excited to retire but notes he's full of mixed emotions. Walters says his greatest achievement was making their services more accessible to the public.

One Lane Open Hwy 17

The Trans Canada highway is still closed to one lane of traffic near Wawa.  It was closed around 1 this morning after a transport carrying fireworks hit a moose.  The collision caused the transport to catch on fire and ever since the highway has been closed to one lane while OPP clear the accident area.

Woman Busted For Illegal Painkillers

A 25 year old local woman is facing charges of smuggling painkillers into the country.  Canada Border Services says that she was nabbed at the Thunder Bay International Airport after returning from a trip to the United States recently.   They say she had over 140 hydrocodone pills which she did not have a prescription for.

HNO To Conform To Hockey Canada Changes

Expect more changes at Hockey Northwestern Ontario. The changes are the result of a new Hockey Canada ruling eliminating body checking from Peewee hockey. HNO General Manager Trevor Hosanna says part of the new rule is mandatory training for coaches which HNO will confirm at its upcoming annual general meeting.  Hosanna hopes to have all coaches trained in time for the new hockey season.

Educator Hopes Provincial Decision Is Thought Out

The head of the Lakehead Public School Board is reacting to provincial plans to cut down on the oversupply of teachers. The moves include cutting the number of students accepted into teacher's colleges and doubling the length of time it takes teachers to get a degree from one year to two years .  Director of Education,  Cathi Siemieniuk,  believes it's a good move if it ensures students can pick a career that will give them employment.  Siemieniuk says she trusts that the decision has been well thought out.

Child Seat Saved Toddler's Life Say Police

City police are crediting a child car seat with saving a toddler's life in a north side accident.  They say that two people were sent to hospital in the two vehicle mishap at Teresa and Bruce Streets this afternoon.  Three others, including the child,  were treated at the scene by paramedics.  None of injuries were considered life threatening.   The driver of one of the vehicles is now charged.

Police Unveil Domestic Violence Unit

City Police now have a six member domestic violence unit. The local force launched the new initiative this morning and Inspector Sylvie Hauth says the high number of domestic violence calls backs up the need for the new unit. Uniform officers will be the first on the scene of a domestic violence call and if an arrest is made the new unit will be called in to deal with the matter.