$$ For ER Nurses Helps Free Up EMS

The Province is giving the Health Sciences Centre 228-thousand dollars to hire more nurses for the emergency room.  The new nurses will only care for patients with non-life threatening conditions who arrive by ambulance.  EMS Chief Norm Gale says it's freeing up his paramedics and allowing them to get back on the road.  Gale says they were losing 11 hours of ambulance time and 22 hours of paramedic time per day because there was no one to look after the patients once they arrived at the ER.  Mayor Keith Hobbs is pleased noting it should have a positive impact on the City's emergency services budget.

Assault Near LU

City Police, conducting a Ride Program on Oliver Road near Lakehead University, got more than they bargained for.  While officers were checking for impaired drivers just after one o'clock this morning, a male nearby came up on a group and assaulted two other men.  Cops gave chase and apprehended the suspect after a brief struggle.  The two victims and one officer suffered minor injuries in the incident and they were all treated at the scene.  A 20-year old Thunder Bay man is being held on charges of assault, resisting arrest and breach of probation.    

Severe T.Storm Watch

Environment Canada is issuing a severe thunderstorm watch for the Thunder Bay area.  Around 25 millimeters of rain was expected to fall Thursday afternoon.  An E.C. Meteorologist says there's the potential for strong winds and hail during the storm. More rain and thunderstorms are also being called for Thursday night.

New Chief At Wabigoon Lake First Nation

Wabigoon Lake Ojibway First Nation has a new leader.  Paul Watts has defeated incumbent Rueben Cantin Senior in band elections.  Watts will lead the community for the next two years.  Councilors elected include Bill Parenteau, Lanna Kooschet and Clayton Wetelainen.

Madder Touring NWO

Aboriginal education is seen as one of the key areas of growth for Confederation College.  The college has released its five year Strategic Plan and president Jim Madder says its important that they have relevant program to represent their aboriginal demographic.  Madder says improving their technology infrastructure is also key to reaching out to their aboriginal students. Madder was in Kenora Thursday to discuss the plan.

Horwath Reacts To Energy Minister

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is still concerned about the future of the Thunder Bay generating station. Horwath says she was happy to hear the Province will be making an announcement in the next several weeks. However, she says she was worried by Chiarelli's side comment saying the local plant would only run for six hours a year.

NAN Deputy Grand Chief Co-Chairs Committee

The Province is announcing the 11 people who will sit on a First Nation Juries Review Committee.  Deputy Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation Alvin Fiddler will be a co-chair of the committee and will work towards implementing the recommendations in Justice Frank Iacobucci's report on Ontario Juries.  Former Treaty Three Grand Chief and Lawyer Diane Kelly as well as Thunder Bay's Honorable Marc Bode are other committee members.

More Forestry Work

The Province is creating 160 jobs in Hornepayne.  They announced money today for a 10 megawatt facility that will use sawmill wood by-products to generate electricity for the provincial power grid and produce heat for nearby sawmill operations. 

Chiarelli Says Announcement On The Way

Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli is telling NDP Leader Andrea Horwath to hold her horses!  Horwath stood in Question Period today to ask the Liberal Government what they will be doing to help ensure the Thunder Bay power generating station remains open.  Chiarelli responded saying an announcement was on the way in about 3 weeks time.  Chiarelli notes they're plan for energy in the Northwest goes beyond the Thunder Bay plant and encompasses communities such as Dryden.

More Fires Out

A pair of forest fires that had been burning at the south end of Quetico Provincial Park since the end of the August have now been declared out. Both lightning-caused blazes never amounted to much. It leave just three active fires, all in the Far North around the Sachigo Lake area.

Energy East Pipeline Public Sessions

The President of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is offering his opinion on the Energy East Pipeline.  Public consultations are taking place across the region this week.  Dave Canfield says he wants to see the pipeline have automatic shut off valves if a leak is detected.  The Energy East project would pump oil from Alberta to the East coast.

Grann Files Lawsuit

Court documents confirm a Thunder Bay police officer is taking legal action against the city police service.  Named in the action are former police chief Bob Herman, the Police Services Board along with 3 other officers. In her 29 million dollar lawsuit Toni Grann is alleging  harassment and being overworked as part of a conspiracy to have her quit her job.    The allegations still must be proven in court.

Wesdome Gold Mines Fined

Wesdome Gold Mines is being fined in two separate labor board cases.   The company was fined 130-thousand dollars combined in relation to a 2011 incident and another in 2012 where workers were injured on the job.

Walk A Mile Film Project Debuts In February

The city is teaming up with a local filmmaker to produce four short films about the Aboriginal people of the city and who they are.   The Walk A Mile film screening will debut in February at the Community Auditorium.  The Police Services Board, Lakehead Public School Board, Lakehead University and Equipment World are the main sponsors of the 45-thousand dollar project.

LU President Creates E.D. Council

Lakehead University President Brian Stevenson is creating a council on economic development for Northwestern Ontario.  The 16 member council was announced on Wednesday.  Council members are from the aboriginal community and various industries.

Missing Hunter Found Dead

The search for a missing hunter near Ear Falls has come to an end.  The OPP says they have located the body of 22 year old Tyler Mills.  Mills went missing on Thursday when he and another hunter fell out of a boat while duck hunting.  A post mortem is scheduled at the Kenora hospital.

Ein Prosit

The Port Arthur Rotary Club is putting on a fundraising Oktoberfest party at the CLE.  The October 11th bash will include live entertainment from the Polka Pirates band, authentic German Food, and freshly made pretzels.  Spokesperson Johnny De Bakker says they'll also have some special beer on tap from the Sleeping Giant Brewery.  The brewery will be making a German style lager called "Feierabend".  Money raised will go towards Rotary Club initiatives.

Robichaud Sworn In To MCC

Thunder Bay's Hospital President Andree Robichaud is now part of the Medical Council of Canada. Robichaud says she's honoured to join the group that helps evaluate doctors.  She was inducted yesterday at the Ottawa Convention Centre.

EQAO Reading, Writing & Math Scores Released

The Education, Quality and Accountability Office is out with its latest reading, writing and math test results for Grade 3 and 6 students.  Lakehead Public School Grade 3 students saw a slight decrease in the reading and math skills while writing improved by several percentage points.  Grade 6 students saw a jump in all three courses.  Meanwhile, The Catholic School grade 3 students showed improvement in their reading, writing and math tests.  Grade 6 students reading and math scores decreased slightly and writing increased.

Future Shop Gives T.Bay School $

Thunder Bay's St. Ann School is one of 15 elementary schools who are sharing in 210-thousand dollars in funding from Future Shop.  The money will be used to buy computers and other tech to create a future generation tech lab. 

First Nation Youth Skills Award

The Forest Products Association of Canada is offering a skills award for Aboriginal Youth.  Spokesperson Monica Bailey says it's for 25-hundred-dollars.  Bailey says this is the second year they have offered the award, which is part of their efforts to attract more Aboriginal workers to the forestry sector.

AirMiles Scam Circulating NWO

Folks in Northwestern Ontario are getting calls that they've won 26-thousand AirMiles.  It appears that a scam artist is using local numbers to call different homes to make it seem more realistic.  Remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is!

Dryden Allows ATVs

The City of Dryden is allowing the use of All-Terrain vehicles on certain streets and roads.  A motion to revamp the current by-law was approved after considerable debate on Monday.  Mayor Craig Nuttall was in favour of the changes.  One restriction in the bylaw is that ATV's can't be used after 11 o'clock.

Autumnwood Drive Is Best City Block

Thunder Bay's Best City Block is Autumnwood Drive.  The Kiwanis Club and City Parks Division helped select the winning street.  Spokesperson Jim Kalyta says it has that "WOW" factor.  The winning neighbourhood will receive a plaque at a special block party tonight.

Drivers Disobey Signs

Thunder Bay police are warning north side drivers to respect the road closure on Algoma Street at Camelot.   Traffic Sgt. Glen Porter says Union Gas is  doing some underground work and many drivers aren't obeying the signs.  He says people are ignoring all the signs and driving into oncoming traffic.   Porter says they handed out about 25 tickets yesterday will be there today to nab violators.

Impaired Charge Laid After Accident

A woman is out of hospital, but facing an impaired driving charge after a traffic accident during the supper hour last evening on High Street just up from Oliver Road.  Police say the woman's car partially destroyed a retaining wall along the street.  Part of High between Oliver and Bay Street had to be closed for a short time so police could deal with the incident.

2013 Police Report

Police Services Board

Thunder Bay's Police Service is out with its 2013 report.  Police Chief J.P. Levesque provided an update to the police board this morning echoing findings from Statistics Canada that show the City's Crime Severity Index fell by 17 percent. Levesque says more attention needs to be paid to the underlying causes of crime. Levesque attributes the decline in crime to hard work.

911 Goes High Tech

911 service is going high tech.  The local Police Service is working on updating its technology in order to track the location of cell phone made 911 calls.  City Police Chief JP Levesque says they're also working on bringing the ability to text 911.  The new modern 911 service will be in place starting next year.

Great Dane Causes Commotion

It was a dog day afternoon at Prince Arthur's Landing on Monday afternoon.  That's when a black and white great dane got away from his master and starting running about.    Witnesses first saw the big dog running loose on  Park Avenue and then down Water street and then to the marina.  Eventually the owner retrieved the pet by coaxing it into a vehicle.

T.Bay Golf Classic Coming Soon

Whitewater Golf Club is going to play host for the next three years to PGA Tour Canada.  Thunder Bay Golf Classic Executive Director Scott Smith says the tournament will take place July 14th next year and is expected to bring in thousands of spectators.  The tournament will draw Canada's biggest names and upcoming stars in the golf world.  There will be a qualifying event for local golfers who want to try their luck against the pros.

Big Private Donation For Law School

The Paterson Foundation is coming  through in a big way for Lakehead University.  The foundation is giving LU 1 million dollars to help pay for renovations to the new Faculty of Law building on Red River Road, formerly Port Arthur Collegiate.  In turn the main auditorium at the school will be called the John N. Paterson Faculty of Law Auditorium. 

Accountant Recognized

A Thunder Bay number cruncher is getting recognition from his peers. Camillo Lento has been given an award of distinction from the professional accountants in Ontario.  He will be presented with the honour at a special event in Toronto on Thursday.

Dryden Pharmacist To Stand Trial

There will be a trial for Dryden pharmacist Rob Button. Button was charged in 2012 for trafficking morphine following a two month investigation. He was committed to trial after a preliminary hearing in Dryden yesterday.  Button has opted for a trial by judge and jury which will be held in Kenora.

Early Morning Accident

Emergency crews were called to the scene of a three vehicle accident north of the Thunder Bay Expressway on Wardrope Avenue near Balsam Street just after 8 o'clock this morning.  The collision involved taxi van, a car and an SUV.  One man was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

City Getting Report On Pets

City Council is going to get a report back looking at how they can better enforce animal by-laws.  The report however isn't going to include Councillor Roberto's request looking at putting a limit on the number of pets a person can own.  The report will come back in December.

Man Rescued

Some quick work by EMS Paramedics and Thunder Bay Police during an incident just after midnight.  Emergency crews managed to pull an intoxicated man from the water below the underpass near 300 Donald Street.  The 42-year old male was taken to Thunder Bay Regional and treated for hypothermia.

OLG Deal Ratified

City Council is ratifying it's new deal with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.  The new deal includes an extra 84-thousand dollars from the local Casino's table game revenue.

More Food For Council

City Council is going to have several more meals at their weekly meetings.  They voted to allow food to be provided for meetings that start at 5:30 rather than the previous rule to only serve food at meetings that are held at 5.  Meals per meeting run around 200 to 300 dollars. Councillor Rebecca Johnson voted against the move and says people should be able to grab food on their way to the meeting.  Meanwhile, Councillor Ken Boshcoff voted for the move and says not offering food at later meetings might put people off from running for council.

Gravelle Playing Defence

Thunder Bay Superior North MPP Michael Gravelle is playing defence after both opposition parties attacked the Liberals over their inaction on the conversion of the local power plant.  Gravelle says PC Leader Tim Hudak doesn't know the facts.

LU Gets Research Grants

Lakehead University researchers are receiving more than 1.5 million dollars from a national research council. The money will be used for research projects looking into new media, First Nations renewable energy initiatives, economic development, and weight biases.

Report On Pet By-Laws Coming To Council

City Council is going to get a report back looking at how they can better enforce animal by-laws.  The report however isn't going to include Councillor Aldo Roberto's request looking at putting a limit on the number of pets a person can own.  Mayor Keith Hobbs says council voted down looking at the quantity of pets.  Many Councillors were not comfortable with telling people how many pets they can have. The report will come back in December.

Robbery Attempt At Tokyo House

Another robbery attempt in the city, but this time the thief got away empty handed.  Police say a man, holding a knife, entered the Tokyo House restaurant on West Arthur Street last night around 9 o'clock and demanded money. Employees attempted to subdue the man, but he escaped.  There were no injuries in the incident. The robber, described to be around 27-years old, was last seen running northbound towards Donald Street.

Boise Mill Bought

New owners for the mill in International Falls.  Packaging Corporation of America says its acquiring Boise Inc. in a deal valued at nearly 2-billion dollars. The announcement comes just four months after Boise had announced plans to shut down two of its paper machines and eliminate 265 jobs at its International Falls mill by October.

Charities Want Piece of Your Will

Six local charities are teaming up to promote leaving money in your will to Northwestern Ontario communities.  The Community Legacy Giving Partnership is made up of Confederation College, George Jeffrey Children's Foundation, Lakehead University, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, St. Joe's Foundation and the Health Sciences Foundation.   The initiative asks local residents to pledge to set aside money for charities in their wills.  For more information visit the website.

Health Unit Searches For New MOH

A major vacancy for the Northwestern Health Unit. Dr. James Arthurs has announced his retirement as the Medical Officer of Health. He will be stepping down in March of 2014, giving the Health Unit plenty of time to find a replacement. Arthurs was appointed Medical Officer of Health back in 2009, after a lengthy search by the board of health.

Hudak Outlines Plan For The North

Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak says his northern vision will give more decision making power to people in this part of the province.  Hudak visited the city today to unveil the PCs new policy for the north and natural resources. He says it's time we as northerners starting running our own show and stop having southern special interests say what is good for us. As an example Hudak says under a PC government northerners will have more of a say over wildlife and hunting management along with cottage development

Ice Cream Man Busted

Police claim this ice cream man had a little secret.   Over the weekend they arrested a 44 year old man who was driving the truck in Current River.  They say he was wanted on an outstanding warrant. Police say he surrendered peacefully.

Drowning Victim Found

The search is over for a 59 year old Missouri man who drowned in Northern Lights Lake after a boating accident last week.   He and a woman were thrown from their boat after it struck something.  The woman, who was wearing a life jacket, made it to shore safely.  Divers found the body of Dennis Todd of Jefferson City Sunday.

Ear Falls Search Continues

Provincial Police continue to search for a missing man in Ear Falls. Two men were duck hunting on English River last week, when their boat capsized and both fell in the water.  One of the men was picked up by a group of fishermen, but the other man was not found. The missing man's name and age isn't being released at this time. OPP Marine Units, helicopter and family members are involved in the search.

Charity Events Raise $

Another memorable Terry Fox Run in Thunder Bay.   The annual Boulevard Lake event again attracted hundreds of people who ran to raise over 16 thousand dollars for cancer research.   As well the Northern Cancer Fund is receiving 42 thousand dollars after yesterday's annual Caribou charity bike ride.

Overnight Fires

A busy night for city firefighters.  Crews were called to the Bowater Sawmill on Darrel Avenue just after midnight and discovered a blaze in a chip bin at the plant.  It appears the fire was caused by an overheated bearing.  Crews also responded to a home on Blucher Avenue just after one o'clock this morning where the back of the house was on fire.  The blaze was quickly brought under control, but not before there was extensive damage to the kitchen area.  The cause is not yet known.