DSSAB Budget Passes

The Social Services Board's proposed budget for the new year has passed.  The seventy-three million dollar budget will also include some financial relief for area municipalities according to CAO Bill Bradica. Bradica adds that the reduction comes because of a lowering case load for Ontario Works.

Mauro's Bill Bear Being Debated

Thunder Bay Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro's private members bill is still waiting to be voted on today.  It was debated this afternoon in the Ontario Legislature. Mauro called on members of the opposition to support his bill.  NDP Timmins James Bay MPP Gilles Bisson called Mauro's bill nothing but a re-election ploy.  Mauro says he won't comment on Bisson's statement in the legislature.

Minor Damage At Silver City

City fire officials believe the cold weather could be responsible for a water problem at the Silver City theatre complex this afternoon.  Kelly Patterson of the Thunder Bay Fire Service says the problem is minor though,  and involved the sprinkler system malfunctioning and sending water pouring onto the floor.  The problem occured at the south exit of the building.  The damage not enough to effect business operations.

Local Author Gets Recognition

A Thunder Bay author is up for a national award.  Charles Wilkins and his book "Little Ship of Fools: 16 Rowers, 1 Improbable Boat, 7 Tumultuous Weeks on the Atlantic," is one of twelve that has been nominated for RBC's Taylor Prize. The award is Canada's most prestigious for literary non-fiction. The winner will be announced March 10.

Director Set To Retire

The Catholic School Board's Director of Education Joan Powell is retiring. She made the announcement at Monday night's school board meeting. Powell will be retiring at the end of April.

Cold Weather Equals Collisions

City Police are being kept busy with the cold weather we're experiencing.  Over the last four days officers attended 119 collisions on area roads.  One of the accidents involved an ambulance enroute to a call, thankfully no one was injured and the crew was able to proceed to their call.  Police are again reminding drivers roads are icy and tires are rock hard because of the cold temperatures.

Vacancy Rate Up

The vacancy rate in Thunder Bay is up. According to the latest government figures, the rate in October was about 2 and a half per cent. A year ago at the same time it was about 1 per cent. Warren Philp of Canada Mortgage and Housing says it reverses a long downward slide.  Philp says the increase can be attributed to, among other things, more people moving from renting to owning their homes.

OPP Get New Gear

OPP in northwestern Ontario are benefiting from new technology. Sgt. Shelley Garr says that our region is getting some of the new cruisers that are equipped with licence plate scanners to catch suspended drivers.  Garr says the new cruisers should arrive by next month.

United Way Welcomes Donation

On the charity beat, city workers from librarians to paramedics are showing their generosity. They have given almost 220 thousand dollars to this year's United Way campaign. That comprises about 10 per cent of the United Way's 1.2 million dollar objective.

Gravelle Announces Health Care Network

The Provincial Government is creating a new new health care network for high needs patients in Thunder Bay. Thunder Bay MPP Michael Gravelle says the new program will offer seniors and patients with complex conditions better care through more coordinated support. The program links together the various health care providers in the City.

Slippery Conditions Bring Collisions

OPP are warning motorists about the slippery driving conditions on area highways after several collisions occured in the region Wednesday.  A driver of a GMC Jimmy was west bound on Highway 11/17 when the driver lost control and rolled the vehicle into the ditch.  A two vehicle collision also occured yesterday at the intersection of Gronroos Road and Copenhagen Road.Finally, police were called to another vehicle rollover on Highway 11 after the driver lost control of his truck. OPP say the cold weather is causing area roads to be covered in ice and frost.

Drug Charges Laid

Two Longlac residents and a Geraldton man are charged with a variety of drug related charges after a search of a Longlac home by police. OPP located an amount of marijuana, morphine, and drug paraphernalia inside the home. Charged are a 37-year old man from Longlac, an 18-year old male from Geraldton and a 26 year old woman from Longlac.

Mandela Memorial

Thunder Bay residents get a chance to pay their respects to anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela.  St. Paul's Anglican Church on Ridgeway Street is hosting a memorial this morning at 11 o'clock. Organizer Brent Trudell says it will be a community service featuring songs and memorable quotes from the former South African President.
A book of condolences will be there for anyone to sign and it will be sent to the Mandela family

Cold Snap Continues

Don't expect our deep freeze to end before the weekend.  Jeff Coulson of Environment Canada says we are in the grips of a cold snap out of Western Canada that is bringing with it temperatures that are well below what we normally get this time of year.  Our normal daytime high for this time of year is minus 6.  Coulson adds we might see a break from the deep freeze early next week but expect another cold snap in the week leading up to Christmas.

Workers Strike At CCAC

The union representing striking Public Support Workers at the Red Cross says the cold weather isn't deterring local picketers. Bill Joblin of the Service Employees International Union says the workers here are willing to pound the pavement in bone chilling temperatures in an effort to get a settlement with the employer.  The 21 workers in Thunder Bay are part of a province wide walk out that involves 45 hundred PSWs.

Four Vehicle Accident

A 51 year old man is charged after several vehicles were involved in a collision at the intersection of Balmoral and the Harbour Expressway. The crash took place just before 2 this afternoon and resulted in two drivers being taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries. Traffic was snarled for about a half hour today and has since been cleared.

Hospital Imposes Interview Sanctions

The Regional Health Science's Centre denies it's treating city news outlets differently when it comes to granting interviews.   Our newsroom was not allowed an interview with Peter Myllymaa the head of corporate services, over possible plans for parking expansion,  unless we provided questions in advance.   A hospital spokesperson says Myllymaa was caught off guard by questions from an earlier interview with another news outlet, and so the sanctions were put in place for subsequent exchanges.  However it's Acadia Broadcasting's policy not to provide questions in advance of any interview.

New Health Links Program In T.Bay

The Provincial Government is creating a new new health care network for high needs patients in Thunder Bay.  The new program will offer seniors and patients with complex conditions better care through more coordinated support.  The program links together the various health care providers in the City.

St. Pat's Closed

St. Patrick High School is closed and students are going home.  The athletic director with the Catholic School Board says the school has a boiler issue that's forcing the entire school to be sent home.  All sports games at the school today are being rescheduled.

Big Changes For Canada Post

It's a new dawn for Canada Post.  Our national mail service provider is going to be phasing out door to door mail delivery for a third of Canadians who live in urban areas.  Over the next five years those people will be converted to so called  community mailbox delivery.    As well the corporation is increasing the cost of mailing a letter to 85 cents from 63 cents starting on March 31st.

Red Cross Working With CCAC

Thunder Bay's Red Cross Personal Support Workers are striking to back demands for a new contract. Red Cross Care Partners Spokesperson Tanya Elliott says they're keeping a close eye on the job action. Elliott says they will be finding other organizations who can provide care for their clients during the strike.

Matawa Holds Education Conference

Matawa First Nations are hosting an education forum this week. Topics up for discussion include what needs to be changed or added to the First Nation education system, and what systems are already in place that are working well. Matawa Ring of Fire Negotiator Bob Rae will be the guest speaker today and is expected to talk about what training needs to take place for area residents to take part in the mining project.

Doctor Shortage Included In Report

Northern Ontario's doctor shortage is drawing the attention of Ontario's Auditor General. In her annual report, Bonnie Lysyk says while the province has increased the number of physicians, only 5-percent are practicing in rural areas where 14-percent of Ontario's population live. Lysyk notes that locum doctors, meant to cover short-term vacancies in eligible communities, are instead being used for long periods of time. At the time of the audit, there were about 200 specialist vacancies in Northern Ontario, and a third of the hospitals had been using temporary physician services continuously since 2007.

NOMA Looking Forward To Future Meetings

Leader's throughout the region will get to discuss issues every three months with the provincial government.  Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association President Dave Canfield says the promise was made to some key figures at the Northern Leaders Forum.  Canfield says last weeks meeting opened up discussions on a variety of topics including forestry, infrastructure, and the Ring of Fire.

Rickford Announces New Fund

Businesses throughout the region could get some much needed help by the Federal government. FedNor Minister Greg Rickford has announced the Advanced Manufacturing Fund, which will spend 200 million dollars over the next 5 years. Rickford says he's focused on one industry close to home. He says 2 local companies are taking a serious look at the program.

Camping On Crown Too Long

An Ignace man is 400 dollars lighter in the pocket-book for leaving his camper on Crown Land too long. The MNR says it responded to complaints of a number of campers parked on Sturgeon Lake north of Ignace this past summer. Conservation officers posted notices that camping on crown land is limited to just 21 days. The MNR managed to track down the owner who didn't move his camper and Leon Ray was charged.

Hudak Wants Wynne To Take Action

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak wants to see Premier Wynne take action on the findings of the Auditor General.  In the 2013 annual report, Bonnie Lysyk found that more children with autism are waiting for government funded services than are receiving them. Hudak doesn't have much faith in the Premier following up on the report. Hudak held a news conference after the release of the auditor's report Tuesday in Toronto.

Dawson Road Fire Undetermined

Officials say they may never know exactly what caused a massive house fire on Dawson Road this week. Fire Inspector Paul Bureau says Sunday evening's fire scene was examined by the city and the Ontario Fire Marshal. Bureau says they examined the rubble but could not find a cause that means the fire is going down as undetermined He says however, they have ruled out arson as the cause, but he didn't explain why.

Hwy 17 Open Near Wawa

OPP say Highway 17 between Wawa and Batchewana is now open in both directions.  The highway was closed yesterday due to weather related conditions causing poor visibility.

Homecare Workers Poised To Strike

Personal Support Workers with Red Cross Care Partners, including 21 in Thunder Bay, plan to walk off the job tomorrow to back demands for a new contract. The job action comes more than a week after the members of the Service Employees International Union rejected a tentative contract with the agency. The workers are demanding improved wages and benefits.

Survey Shows Moderate Hiring Climate

On the local economic front, Thunder Bay area employers expect a moderate hiring climate for the first three months of 2014.   According to a survey by Manpower, 10 per cent of employers surveyed plan to hire extra workers while almost three quarters plan to maintain their current staff.

Minor Injuries In Smash Up

Police say there are only minor injuries following a three vehicle smash up on the Thunder Bay Expressway from this morning.  The collision took place at around 8:15 between Oliver Road and John Street Road.  It involved the cab of a transport truck, an SUV and a station wagon.

Highway 502 Open

The OPP have re-opened Highway 502 between Dryden and Fort Frances.  The highway was shut down earlier this morning due to a jack-knifed tractor trailer unit.  There were no injuries.

Dawson Heights Raises Concerns

City staff are hoping to address the concerns of a resident about the proposed expansion of the Dawson Heights subdivision.  Darlene Fedorchuk owns property that neighbors the proposed 25 new lots and is worried people will trespass.  Staff are considering putting up signage saying that the land is private property as away to ease Fedorchuck's concerns. Council will vote on the expansion project at their January 13th meeting.

Council Round Up

City Council is putting Councillor Ken Boshcoff's name in the hat for the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.  They will be putting the at large member's name forward to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario for consideration for nomination for the MPAC board.  Meanwhile, City Council is sticking with the status quo for the time being when it comes to parking at the new consolidated courthouse.
Staff were looking as removing a taxi stand to make room for more parking but now they are considering moving a bus stop to help accommodate for more parking spots. Any changes to parking won't take place until after the City gets a better feel for how many spots will be needed once the court house is open.

New Street Names

Get ready to take a drive on Oasis Lane, Vista Lane, Allure Lane and Inspiration Lane. Those are the names that are being approved for the private roads located within the Terra Vista Development near Beverly Street. The lanes are not municipally owned and will provide access from Beverly to the new townhouses and apartments being built in the area.

Chair Acclaimed To Learning Foundation

Two familiar faces are back at the head of the Lakehead Learning Foundation.  Clint Harris and Sue Peever were acclaimed as Chair and Vice Chair at the foundation's annual general meeting.  The foundation was created in 2003 to provide support for students such as field trip fees, team and uniform fees and emergency shelter.

Big Lots Closing T.Bay Store

Thunder Bay's new Big Lots store is going to close it's doors in the near future. The parent company of Liquidation World announced it's closing 78 stores across the country and its head office in Brantford, Ontario. The former Liquidation World store officially opened its doors under the big lots title at the end of October.

NAN Wants Far North Act Scrapped

The provincial government is downplaying First Nation demands to scrap the Far North Act. Natural Resources minister David Orazietti says first nations are buying with more than 30 communities already participating. Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Harvey Yesno says the legislation is too restrictive and limits opportunities for development.

Bisson Not Happy With Results

NDP MPP Gilles Bisson isn't pleased with the outcome of the recent Northern Leaders Forum in Timmins. Bisson says not much has changed for the daily lives of northerners following last week's meeting.  Minister of Northern Development and Mines Michael Gravelle defends the gathering. Gravelle calls the meeting a historic event.

College Gets Cash For New Program

The province is giving some money to Confederation College to start a new program for expectant mothers.  President Jim Madder says they're currently working on the curriculum for the new "Maternal Care" program.  Madder says they're teaming up with First Nation health care organizations to develop the program that they hope to offer in the fall of 2014.

Province To Maintain Caramat Road

The community of Manitouwadge has its road problem resolved.   The road to the landfill has not been plowed or maintained because of  bureaucratic red tape.    In the legislature Transport Minister Glen Murray said the province is coming to the rescue.   He says the MTO will be opening Caramat Road, maintaining it and working with the the community to repair the full length over the coming months.  The closure of  forced the township to suspend garbage collection.

Housing Numbers Down

As the year winds down the number of new houses being built in Thunder Bay is slowing.  The latest government statistics from Canada Mortgage and Housing show that compared to last year there's been a drop.  Warren Philp is CMHC's local number cruncher and says the drop is about 15 per cent

Morning Mishap

No one is hurt following a single vehicle collision on Water Street and Villa this morning at around 9:30.  Officials say that an SUV knocked down a light pole and rammed into a building.  It's unknown why the driver lost control.

Dawson Road Blaze

There were no injuries following a huge two-alarm fire on Dawson Road.   The fire broke out early last night night at a home between Dog Lake Road and Shirley Road.  Five pumper trucks and over 20 firefighters battled the blaze, however the house was virtually destroyed.  Early indications are that the fire may have started in the basement of the residence.  

Dawson Heights To Be Expanded?

The Dawson Heights Subdivision that began in the early 1990's may be seeing some new life. Council will look over a Draft Plan tonight that would include the creation of two new streets and twenty-five dwellings that would fill in the space between Wardrope Road and Dawson. The development would mark the fourth and final stage of the Dawson Heights Subdivision

Whalen Building 100 Years Old

The City's Whalen Building is officially 100 years old.  2013 marks the anniversary of the the completed construction of the heritage building in the city's north core.  Andrew Cotter is the Chair of the Heritage Advisory Committee says it's a great structure. Cotter says they want to hold an anniversary celebration in the spring of 2014 because that's when the building's first tennants moved in.

City Council Preview

The City is considering extending the Community Improvement Plan for the Downtown Core areas and Simpson street Business Improvement Area.  It's been in place the past 10 years and is scheduled to end on December 31st.  City staff are recommending to council to keep the program with its financial incentives for businesses in place for another year.  Meanwhile, City staff are putting a couple of subjects that were set to be discussed this month on the back burner.  A report on what other communities are doing to deal with the number of pets a person can own is now going to be discussed in the New Year. Another report on what the City will do with the Royal Edward Arms in the future is now going to be discussed in the first half of 2014.

Give Back During Your Commute

Throughout the week passengers on Thunder Bay Transit will be encouraged to donate canned goods and non-perishables during their commute. Also, beginning on Thursday there will be a food drive at the Fort William Road Wal-Mart. The drive will last until Sunday December 15th.

Win A Harley Davidson

Tickets are being sold for the Motors and Muscles Raffle supporting the Our Kids Count community kitchen program. Gladys Berringer is Executive Director with the program and says this years goal of raising fifty-thousand dollars is based off of previous years success. This years grand prize is a 2014 Harley-Davidson Motorcycle the draw is being made during this summer's Rib Fest.