Rock Climbing in Thunder Bay

The Thunder Bay region will be featured in an upcoming edition of Gripped, a rock climbing magazine. Editor Brandon Pullan is the editor and says the region is great for climbers because of uncommon rock types, ease of access and low risk winter climbing. The feature will focus on locations around the region including some spots right here in the city. It will run in February and April.

No Say in First Nations Education Act

A Northern Ontario Chief says the Federal Government is using first nations as lab rats. Anishinabek Nation Grand Chief Patrick Madahbee says they have played no role in the First Nations Education Act, which is expected to be presented in the new fall session. Madahbee is asking for the government's patience as they develop their own strategy which will include more parental guidance.

Funding for Attawapiskat

The Attawapiskat community is the major beneficiary of federal funding. Forty-five thousand dollars will go to the community for participating in the environmental assessment of the proposed Victor Diamond Mine extension project. A total nearing ninety-thousand dollars is being distributed amongst four northern First Nations including MiningWatch Canada and the Wildlands League.

Borg Sets Goals For New Post

Dilico Anishinabek Family Care Executive Director Darcia Borg is now head of the agency. Borg plans on setting new goals for the organization while helping families and communities. She brings with her over twenty years of experience.

Thanksgiving For The Needy

There will be a free Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow afternoon at 545 Cumberland street, courtesy of the Salvation Army and Thunder Bay firefighters. Rob Kerr is the event spokesperson and says he is impressed with how tightly knit the community is. Over three-hundred people are expected to show up tomorrow. Dinner will be served between noon and three.

Conservatory Closed Again

The embattled  Thunder Bay Botanical Conservatory is shut down once again because of falling glass.  The city says that late Friday  they discovered that a malfunction of a roof vent resulted in several glass panels to break. They say that caused shards of glass to fall into the safety netting inside the Tropical House viewing area.  The cause of the problem isn't known and no one is hurt.   The city expects the conservatory to open again next week.

Injured Bear Reported To MNR

The Ministry of Natural Resources appears to be confirming a report from a listener that there may be an injured bear in the John Street Road area.  Spokesperson  Michelle Nowak says the report came earlier in the week but their officials didn't respond because no request came from the police.   The listener claimed it was an aggressive bear and that it had only three legs, but Nowak couldn't confirm that. No injuries have been reported.

OPP Say Little About Kenora Incident

Police are saying very little about an incident in Kenora that resulted in a man being taken to The Lake Of The Woods Hospital  in critical condition.  They say the incident occurred in the area of Villeneuve Road in the City of Kenora on Thursday.

NWO Author To Visit Hometown

It will be a special homecoming for Vanessa Ricci-Thode. The young writer returns to Ignace Saturday to unveil her first published book. She says the response to 'Dragon Whisperer' has been positive. She says the book is getting good reviews from those who normally don't read fantasy. Ricci-Thode was at Chapters book store this afternoon for a book signing

Mill Deal In Fort Frances

Resolute Forest Products and Unifor have agreed to keep workers on site at the Fort Frances plant for a little longer. Local and National Unifor President Stephen Boon says they have agreed to extend a July agreement, allowing the number 7 paper machine to run up until December 15th. The original agreement was expected to conclude next week. Boon says after a number of meetings, they decided on the extension due to additional paper orders. The workers have been working on the machine since July.

More Mail For Thunder Bay Plant

There's more mail from the region coming to the Canada Post sorting station in Thunder Bay.  Spokesperson John Caines says the new system, called de-twinning,  is less than a month old and sees mail posted from area communities like Kenora, Dryden and Fort Frances sent to our city for sorting and distribution.  Caines says the move is being made to help make the system more efficient.

Expect Border Lineups

Expect some lineups this weekend at border crossings across northwestern Ontario. Border officials are anticipating heavy traffic due to the Thanksgiving long weekend and those looking to head up to do some hunting. If you have to travel through any of the area's points of entry, try doing so at no-peak times. You can check border wait times on both the Canadian Border Services and U.S. Customs and Protection websites.

Jobless Rate Up

The unemployment rate in Thunder Bay for the month of September stands at 6.4 per cent.   According to Statistics Canada that's an increase from the August rate of 6.1 per cent.  Across Canada the rate dropped slightly to 6.9 per cent as fewer young people searched for work.

OPP Launch Operation Impact

Expect to see a few more OPP cruisers on area roads this long weekend. Police are taking part in Operation Impact, a campaign that will crackdown on impaired, distracted, and aggressive driving as well as seatbelt compliance. Provincial Police say the big four driving behaviours are responsible for more than 200 deaths on Ontario roads so far this year.

Ear Falls Mayor Elated

The Mayor of the northwestern Ontario township of Ear Falls is excited that EACOM Timber will be starting up the idled sawmill in the community. Kevin Kahoot says this is welcome news for everyone who lives there. Kahoot says when the Mill was running 5-years ago, it helped local businesses, recreational programs and service clubs. The scheduled start-up date is next Spring.

Police Meeting In Thunder Bay

Police Services Boards from across Northwestern Ontario are discussing the costs of having OPP service their communities.  Speaking in Thunder Bay, OPP Deputy Commissioner Vince Hawkes says they'll be introducing a new costing model.  Hawkes says the model should help even out the costs for small northern communities.

Cancer Society Likes Tan Ban

A new Ontario law is prohibiting those under 18-years-old from using tanning beds is a long time coming. That message coming from the Canadian Cancer Society Northwest Branch.  Manager Maria Cabral says it's always been on the forefront for them.  Cabral says the next step is prevention and education on the dangers of tanning beds.

Court Fines Local Man

The Canada Revenue Agency says a Thunder Bay man is guilty of 18 counts of failing to file personal and corporate income tax returns. Pasquale Stilla was fined 54 thousand dollars on Tuesday in the Ontario Court of Justice.

City Trumpets Insurance Report On Flood

The City is playing up an insurance report that says they have no liability or responsibility for any property losses as the result of last year's massive May 28th flood.  S-C-S Insurance Adjusters added that the city acted appropriately during what the report calls an unprecedented storm. The city sent out letter saying it wasn't their fault to almost 2-thousand property owners who were impacted by the flood.

City Left Out of Regulator's Orders

The city is off the hook for June's gas leak on Red River Road that caused the evacuation of homes in the Mariday Park area.  City spokesperson Leif Andersen says the province's safety regulator ordered Union Gas and a contractor to change the way they mark where underground gas lines are located,  effectively  giving the city a pass.   Andersen says city officials were always confident they did everything according to the book on that day.

Jury Committee Meets In T.Bay

Irwin Glasberg

A Provincial Committee continues to work on implementing a set of recommendations aimed at getting more aboriginal  representation on jury rolls.  They met in Thunder Bay on Thursday. Co-Chair Assistant Deputy Attorney General Irwin Glasberg says they spoke with a remote First Nation woman who told them she received a letter for jury duty but she ignored it.  Co-Chair and Nishnawbe Aski Nation Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler says they heard of some cases where entire communities have been left out of jury duty.

Commissioner Blasts MNR Budget Cuts

Ontario's environmental commissioner is critical of the provincial government's and what it calls a transformation of the Ministry of Natural  Resources. Gord Miller accuses the Liberal government of deliberately dismantling environmental protection. In his annual report, Miller says changes to the MNR "cast doubt on the ministry's ability to properly manage and protect Ontario's natural environment." Miller says budget cuts and regulatory changes have reduced the Ministry's effectiveness.

Airport Fees Going Up

Starting in the new year prices at the Thunder Bay airport are going up for aircraft that use the terminal   Manager Scott McFadden says that includes aircraft landing and parking fees.  McFadden can't say if the higher costs will be passed on to travellers or not.   McFadden says the increase will be three per cent across the board and is mainly to keep up with inflation.

Tim Horton's Gets Through Security

 Air travellers waiting in the Thunder Bay airport's departure lounge will soon get to have a coffee and a snack while waiting to board their flight.  Manager Scott McFadden says Tim Horton's is putting in a new coffee shop which he hopes will be up and running in the next week or so.  McFadden says security issues had to be settled before the company was given permission to set up shop.

New Cancer Fundraising Goal Set

Thunder Bay's Hospital is looking to raise just under 6 million dollars for their four year cancer plan.  The Exceptional Cancer Care campaign's goal is to raise money for research and state of the art equipment. Spokesperson Joanne Lacourciere says they're nearly half way there with 3 million dollars raised already. The Fort William Rotary Club is pledging 500-thousand dollars through their house lottery over the next five years.

More Cell Phone Violators Nabbed

City police are using a new method of trying to catch people who are using their cell phones while driving.   Officers hopped on city transit buses Wednesday and watched drivers from their elevated perches and radioed to police ahead of them to nab any violators. Officials are still working on providing the final numbers from the exercise.

KWG Not Sweating Appeal

It's business as usual for KWG Resources.  Cliffs Natural Resources filed a court appeal of a decision by the Province's Mining Commissioner that bans them from building a road on KWG mine claims.   KWG Spokesperson Moe Lavigne says they're not surprised.  Lavigne says the appeal isn't impacting them at the moment.

Plant Conversion

The conversion of Thunder Bay's generating station from coal to gas may be delayed. Yesterday's release of the auditor's estimate has costs at over 675-million dollars for cancelling the Oakville power plant. Ontario's NDP leader Andrea Horwath feels Thunder Bay may have to wait for a Liberal election platform before a decision is made.

Repairs Expected To Be Complete Tonight

Repairs to a 12 inch water main at the intersection of James and Victoria are expected to be fixed by tonight. The Health Unit is issuing a localized Boil Water Advisory for the homes and school that were affected until water is tested and can be restored. 10 homes in the area and the Edgewater School were without water for most of the today.

Warm Weather Staying For The Week

The warm weather will continue for a few more days.....we're already in the low 20s today and in the high teens tomorrow and Friday.    Environment Canada Meterologist Geoff Coulson  says that cooler temperatures will move back into the Thunder Bay area during Sunday and Monday of the Thanksgiving long weekend.

Gas Plants Dominate Talks

At Question Period this afternoon...the cancellation of the Oakville Gas Plant continued to be raised by the opposition parties.  Premier Kathleen Wynne says it's difficult to get accurate estimates on the cancellation of the Oakville gas plant. Leader of the Ontario NDP Andrea Horwath disagrees and feels the auditor's estimate is accurate. Cancellation of the Oakville gas plant is expected to cost between 675-815 million dollars.

Problem Gambling Prevention Week

The Responsible Gambling Council is in Thunder Bay for problem gambling prevention week.  They'll be handing out pamphlets on how to manage your addiction at the local casino and community bingo. Spokesperson Heather Ly says gambling addiction runs rampant in the province, including Thunder Bay. Members of RGC will be at both bingo and the casino up until Saturday night.

Sawmill Deal In Place

A new contract is in place between the UNIFOR union and the owner of the Ear Falls Sawmill, EACOM. 300 mill and woodlands jobs will be created with the announced start-up of the Ear Falls Sawmill in the spring of 2014. Key terms of the deal include a 20 percent general wage increase over 8 years.

73 Year Old Charged After Collision

A 73 year old man is charged with careless driving after a rear end collision at the Walsh Street rail crossing yesterday morning. A school bus came to a stop and another vehicle stopped safely behind but was hit from behind by a third vehicle. No one was injured.

Gale Back At Paramedic Association Helm

Superior North EMS Chief Norm Gale is back at the helm of the Ontario Association of Paramedic Chiefs.  He was given a second three year term as the group's President.  The re-election was held recently at their annual conference in York Region.

Don't Let The Bed Bugs Bite

Lakehead University says they've sprayed and cleared up seven cases of bed bugs in their Pretie residence. Director of Residence Service David Hare says they sprayed last week and it looks like they are pest free. Hare says the bugs are brought in from all over the province and notes students might have picked them up while they're travelling in airports and bus terminals.

Edgewater School Closed Due To Watermain Break

A water main break in the James Street area has forced Edgewater Public School to be closed for the day. The closure is due to the school being left without water while repair work is done today. The school will re-open once the water main is repaired and the water is turned on in the school.  9 homes are also impacted by the break.

Robbery Attempt At Robin's

A robber got away empty handed following a hold up at the Robin's Donuts location on South May Street. City Police say around 4 o'clock this morning a man entered the coffee shop brandishing a knife and demanding money, but fled the scene when he noticed the alarm had been activated.  No one was injured. The suspect is described as a native Canadian male, between 30-40 years old, who was wearing a black hooded sweater.    

Mauro Tables Bear Hunt Legislation

Thunder Bay MPP Bill Mauro is tabling his private members bill that looks to expand the province's northern bear hunt.   It was introduced Tuesday afternoon and Mauro says it should reach second reading in December.  The bill aims at reducing the nuisance bear population in the region.

Revera Confirms Death

Revera Home Health is investigating the death of one of its Pinewood Court residents.  They've reported the critical incident to the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and are cooperating with their investigation.  The company says it's also going to review the circumstances around the death. For privacy reasons the company says it will not confirm the name or way the resident died but says there thoughts are with the family.

Paramedics Recognized

Three Superior North EMS paramedics are now recognized by the government for their long years of service.   The three were given exemplary service medals at a recent ceremony in southern Ontario.   The three are Robert Corbeil and Ernie Kadikoff of Thunder Bay and Paula Verin of Marathon.

Hate Crime Training

City police are working on getting victims of hate crimes to come forward and report them.  Community members and police took in a Statistics Canada training session on hate crime reporting today.  Trainer Warren Silver says local police are actively trying to get more people to speak up about possible hate crimes.  Silver says to date Thunder Bay hasn't reported a hate crime but that's not to say those types of incidents aren't happening in our community.  Silver says the national training session will help police get a better picture of what is a hate crime and how it should be reported to Statistics Canada.

Stay In The Kitchen When Cooking

It's fire prevention week in the city and Fire Chief John Hay says this year the effort is to encourage cooking safety in the kitchen especially with people being busy preparing Thanksgiving meals this weekend.  Hay says it's timely because over the weekend there was a serious kitchen fire that had the potential to be fatal. 

City Man Charged In Police Dog Death

A 27 year old city man  is facing various charges in Edmonton including animal cruelty after a police dog  was stabbed  and later died.   Police say that the incident took place Monday morning when they were trying to stop a stolen car.   Eventually police got the dog to slow down their suspect which is when the canine was allegedly stabbed.  Charged is Paul Vukmanich of Thunder Bay

Power Deal Signed In City

Project Board Chair Margaret Kenequanash

A First Nation run power company is expanding its transmission line to 5 northern communities.  At a signing ceremony today in Thunder Bay, the communities of Deer Lake, Keewaywin, McDowell Lake, North Spirit Lake and Poplar Hill First Nation joined in on the project.  The communities will now be able to stop using diesel for their power source and have access to a reliable source of electricity.

Year Stays Strong For Housing Starts

2013 continues to be a productive year for housing starts in Thunder Bay.   Government statistics show that so far this year the number of housing starts is up 40 per cent compared to 2012.  But Warren Philp of Canada Mortgage and Housing expects that will even itself out by the end of the year  because starts of multi-family housing units surged in the final months of last year.  Meantime there was a 25 per cent drop in the number of September starts this year compared to 2012.

Children Encouraged To Report Abuse

Two children's organizations in the city are teaming up to help prevent child abuse.   Darcia Borg of Dilico Anishinabek Family Care says that along with the Children's Aid Society they will be trying to encourage school children to report abuse to someone in authority.  She says it's important to get the message to children that there is support for them.  The awareness campaign will be taken to city schools all this month.

Flood Prevention Program For All

Council is offering the Residential Drainage assistance program to all property owners City wide.  They made the decision to open up the flood prevention program at Monday night's meeting.  Councillor Andrew Foulds had concerns low income residents might not be able to afford their share of the cost of flood prevention devices.  Staff will be coming back with a report on whether or not low income residents are using the rebate program.

Pool Issue To Be Discussed Again

The future of the City's outdoor pools will be made in November. Council heard Monday night about the work that needs to be done at Heath Park Pool and Dease.  Meanwhile, a group of supporters of the Heath Park Pool told Councillors how important the pool is to the neighborhood.

Small Crowd Rallies At City Hall

Erin Bottle

Thunder Bay's Idle No More Movement is becoming active again in the community.  Spokesperson Erin Bottle says they've been quiet in the past months but it doesn't mean they've given up their cause. A small turn out rallied at City Hall Monday night and Bottle says it's about quality not quantity.  The Idle No More Movement started over Federal Government legislation that First Nations felt was imposed on them.

Tamarack Trees To Be Removed

The City is going ahead with the chopping down of nuisance Tamarack Trees on Mohawk Crescent. Cutting down 11 trees and replacing them with white spruce will cost the City 8 thousand 500 dollars.  The decision was made Monday night.