Slow Month For Pigeon River

The Canada Border Services Agency is reporting a decrease in the amount of action at the Pigeon River Border Crossing. The CBSA says they processed nearly 40,000 travellers throughout March, a 13 percent decrease from March 2013. The CBSA adds that they conducted close to 3,000 secondary examinations.

Some Hydro Issues Unresolved

Most power outages as a result of the spring snow storm have been resolved. Thunder Bay Hydro is reporting that crews finished up their maintenance just after midnight. Meanwhile, many Hydro One customers are still without power. Communications Officer Nancy Shaddick says close to three thousand customers don't have any power. Shaddick says many people have been without power since Friday morning.

NAPS Seizes Drugs

The Nishnawbe-Aski Police have seized drugs from the Attawapiskat First Nation. Officials say marijuana, Oxycodone, and just over $7500 worth of alcohol was seized, while $7500 in cash was also found. A 25-year-old woman and 33-year-old woman have been charged and will appear in court in August.

Rafferty Pleased With Court Ruling

A Supreme Court ruling is boding well for NDP MP John Rafferty. The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the Harper government could not make any changes to Canada's Senate without consultation from other provinces and territories. Rafferty says the highest court in Canada gave the answer everyone was expecting. Rafferty adds that the Senate will never be reformed under the Harper government.

Scary Incident During Wasaya Flight

The Chief of Sachigo Lake First Nation is confirming an incident involving a Wasaya Airways plane. Alvin Beardy says the community is in shock after the door of a Wasaya Airways plane flew open shortly after take-off yesterday. Beardy says the aircraft had finished dropping off passengers when it took off. The aircraft came back to the airport and landed safely. Beardy says the door above the propellor had opened during mid-flight. He says it was a full load with members of his community as well as others. He stresses the incident needs to be looked at seriously. The Transportation Safety Board is looking into the incident.

Harsh Winters Cause Cost Overruns

A harsh winter is causing the City to go over it's 2014 operating budget. City Treasurer Carol Pollard says two bad winters back to back has wreaked havoc with their finances.  The City is looking at an anticipated $5.73 million dollar year end deficit. Staff want City Council to implement a deficit management plan along with an increase to the budget to help address cost overruns.

Man Faces Child Porn Charges

A 41 year old man is charged with possessing and distributing child porn.  A police investigation from January lead to a recent search of an East Arthur Street home where a USB stick, SD photo card and CD's were seized.  Geoffrey Filmore will be in court on May 20th.

Tina's False Alarm

False alarm this afternoon at Tina's Restaurant.  Fire crews check out a call for a roof on fire while staff wait outside.  A mechanical issue to one of the building's heating units caused smoke.  No one was injured.

LRCA Warns About Flood

The Lakehead Region Conservation Authority is warning about potential flooding.  The significant amount of snow received overnight, accompanied with rising temperatures could cause flooding in the area. The LRCA is urging people to use caution around area waterways.

Power Outages Impact Almost 6-Thousand

City Fire fighters and Hydro crews dealing with several downed power lines and hydro poles on fire this morning.  Hydro One says around 44-hundred customers are without power and Thunder Bay Hydro has another 25-hundred customers without power.  Additional crews have been brought in and are out working on the outages.   Hydro One is hopeful to have its customers back on-line by this afternoon.   Meanwhile, Holy Cross School is closed today because of a power outage.  Almost 350 students students have already been picked up.

Another 5 CM Coming

20 centimetres of wet slushy snow fell on our City overnight. Environment Canada Meteorologist Peter Kimbell says another 5 centimetres of snow is going to fall today.  Kimbell says the weather will clear up for the weekend but temperatures will remain cool. 250 cm of snow fell in Thunder Bay this winter.

Slippery Driving Conditions

Thunder Bay police are advising drivers to take notice of the slick road conditions.  The recent blast of snow is making driving difficult today. Police are asking that drivers reduce speed and adjust following distance as the wind has reduced visibility and could cause problems for motorists.

MPAC Talks To NOMA

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation is acknowledging a need to improve. The agency determining property values outlined some of the things its working on to delegates attending the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Conference.  Spokesperson Arthur Anderson says it includes getting its assessment work - out - sooner.  Anderson says it may also reduce appeals and maintain stability.

No Buses And Rural Schools Closed

Today's snowstorm leading to the cancellation of all school buses for both rural and city students.  As well, all rural schools are closed including Crestview, Five Mile, Gorham and Ware, Kakabeka Falls, McKenzie, Nor'Wester View, Valley Central, and Whitefish Valley. The Thunder Bay Christian School is also closed today.  City Schools are open, but with no busing.  

Nurses Uniforms Becoming Uniform

Nurses at the Regional Hospital will be required to wear standard uniforms next year.   Spokesperson Rhonda Crocker Ellacott says it's to help patients know who's a nurse and who's not.  She says the hospital will not dictate what uniforms nurses must wear.  Crocker Ellacott says it was staff that originally came up with the idea about five years ago.

T.O. Gets Dose Of Reality

No complaints from Scott McFadden to Pearson Airport's plans to improve its extreme weather operations. The countries largest airport was caught flat footed by bad weather over the winter.  The Thunder Bay Airport manager says it appears officials In Toronto got a good dose of reality.  McFadden hopes that the plans help to rectify any issues that could arise if there's another harsh winter.

Police Give Out Tickets

Watch For Pedestrians

City police are embarking on their spring pedestrian safety initiative. They recently gave 40 motorists reminders about some of their bad driving habits. They gave out tickets for speeding, stop sign violations, and talking on a cell phone while driving.

ROF Framework Signed

A major hurdle is now cleared in the Ring of Fire process.    A framework agreement has been signed between the provincial government and the nine Matawa First Nations.    Speaking in Thunder Bay Premier Kathleen Wynne said she doesn't believe this step will add any red tape to getting the giant mining project off the ground. She says the framework is needed to allow the conversation to move forward.   The First Nations say the agreement now allows them to have a say about mining development on their lands. 

Commisso Hopeful For MPAC

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation says its working to do better.  Officials with MPAC outlined to area councils at the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association conference in Fort Frances areas they are addressing.  Thunder Bay's City Manager  Tim Commisso says is hopeful.  Commisso is among delegates calling on MPAC to better consult with municipalities on their assessment work.

Feds Provide 200K For NAN

The Federal Government is providing 200-thousand dollars over the next two years to the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.  The money will be used to promote economic development and skills training for First Nation women.   Minister of Labour and Status of Women Kellie Leitch was in Thunder Bay today to announce the cash.  NAN Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler is hoping they can continue the training program after the funding runs out.

Police Warn Drivers

Our anticipated winter storm is causing Thunder Bay Police to advise drivers to take notice of potentially hazardous road conditions. Another blast of snow is expected to hit Thunder Bay sometime this evening. It is expected to continue in the night and into tomorrow. Police are asking that drivers reduce speed and adjust following distance as wind and reduced visibility could pose problems for motorists.

NOMA Meeting Underway

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association conference is underway in Fort Frances.   NOMA's board  held its meeting yesterday with the rest of the 180 plus regional municipal reps gathering today and tomorrow. President and Kenora Mayor Dave Canfield says they also get a visit from the Premier today More than 180 municipal reps from across the northwest are expected.

Robbery Pics Released

Click on picture to enlarge

City police are releasing surveillance photos of Tuesday's robbery at the Shell gas station on West Arthur Street.   It's a sequence of pictures showing the suspects entering the store and then behind the counter rifling through what appears to be the safe looking for money. You can also see what appears to be a store clerk curled up in a corner

Vehicle Fire

City fire crews battled a vehicle fire this morning at Balsam Pit on the north side.  Firefighters were called to the baseball diamond just after 6 o'clock this morning.  A pumper unit was dispatched a second time after the vehicle caught fire again just before 8 o'clock.  Police are looking into the incident.

Nipigon Investigation Concludes

Provincial Police are reporting that a house furnace was the cause of Monday's carbon monoxide poisoning that claimed two lives in Nipigon. The investigation was conducted by the OPP, Union Gas and safety inspectors.  60-year old Yvan Gaujean and his wife 45-year old Claire Gaujean were found dead in their First Street home.  The couple's 8-year old son survived and was treated at hospital and released.  The province is currently proposing that carbon monoxide detectors be mandatory for all homes in Ontario.

LRCA Flood Outlook

The Lakehead Region Conservation Authority is issuing a flood outlook statement for Thunder Bay and surrounding area.  Warm temperatures and more rain in the forecast could cause a rapid rise in area water levels.  Neebing, Oliver Paipoonge, Shuniah, O'Connor, Conmee, Gillies and Dorion are also included in this flood statement.

Consolidated Courthouse Is Open

Thunder Bay's consolidated court house is officially open.  The Attorney General christened the building Wednesday. Attorney General Madeleine Meilleur says she's proud her government made the new building happen.  Members of the City, police and First Nations took part in an official ceremony yesterday.

Constable Not Guilty Of Assault

Thunder Bay Police Constable Andrew Johnstone is not guilty of assault.  A judge has ruled Johnstone didn't use excessive force in helping control a suspect at the Balmoral police station one year ago.   Police Association spokesperson Jim Glena blasted the province's civilian police watchdog for bringing up the charge in the first place.  He says the Special Investigations Unit has once again overstepped its grounds.   Meantime city police say an internal review of the incident will be conducted to go over procedures

No Cause To Fire Yet

There isn't a cause yet for an early morning fire Monday on Merril Street. Fire Spokesperson Marty Patterson says the Ontario Fire Marshall's office concluded their examination of the fire scene.  Samples were sent away for further study and should be back in six to eight weeks.  Patterson can't say if the fire is suspicious in nature.

LU Student Gives Gym Cash

Lakehead University student Jordan Cash is giving a thousand dollars in cash to the Underground Gym. Cash is a Master of Business Administration student and wanted to volunteer at the gym but couldn't due to his busy school schedule. Instead he decided to raise the money from his classmates and teachers.

Missing Man

Police are asking for assistance as they search for a missing man from Windsor.  It's believed that 30-year-old Brandon Wheeler may be in the Dryden-Kenora area as reports say he may be travelling west to Alberta.  Windsor Police say Wheeler may be under distress and they are concerned about his safety. Wheeler is driving a green 2010 Jeep Wrangler, with Ontario plates ALPD512. Anyone with information is asked to contact local police or Crime Stoppers.

NOMA President Pans Road Plan

The President of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is urging caution about any plan to hand winter road maintenance over to municipalities in the region.  Dave Canfield says it's an idea he's heard before, but thinks most councils would be hesitant to enter into such an agreement with the province. Ontario's Transportation Minister Glen Murray says it's one idea he wants to discuss further when he attends NOMA's meeting this week in Fort Frances.

Tbaytel Net Is Back

Tbaytel's high speed internet service is back to normal after 15 hours of downtime.  Officials say a significant increase in network traffic resulted in a capacity issue and caused malfunctions in various components.  They say everyone should be back to normal but any business customers who are still experiencing issues should contact their technical support.

Child Porn Charges Laid

Police are charging a 52 year old man with possessing child pornography.  It comes after a tip advised police that a local man was uploading improper images to Twitter.  A search warrant was conducted on Jeffrey Miro's home on Chilton Avenue and a number of electronic devices were seized.  Miro will appear in court on May 16th.

Airport Shows Record Figures

Thunder Bay International Airport is showing record numbers of passenger volumes for 2013, according to an annual report. Airport President and CEO Scott McFadden believes there is a correlation between these figures and our region's mining activity.  McFadden adds that a slow year for mining has lead to a decrease in passenger volumes for the early part of 2014.

Three Collisions In Minutes

Police are charging a 47 year old man with drinking and driving after a witness saw him get into three collisions minutes apart.  The Gorham Township man driving a grey ford pick-up was involved in a collision at the intersection of Picton Avenue and Red River Road. Shortly after the first crash the man proceeded onto Red River Road and rear ended a GMC pick-up truck twice.  Police are charging the man with failing to remain at the scene of a collision twice, failing to stop for a stop sign and driving while suspended.

South Side Robbery

Thunder Bay Police are looking for two males who robbed the Shell Gas Station on West Arthur Street.  Around 11:30 last night, the two thieves threatened the clerk with a hatchet and got away with an undisclosed amount of cash.  No one was injured.

Constables To Be Honoured

Five city police constables are getting the medal of bravery from the governor general on Thursday.   Chief J-P Levesque says  the five, Kevin Carroll, James Arthur Elvish, Clark McKever, Kenneth Ogima and Jason Rybak ,  rescued a woman when her car went into Lake Superior  back in May of 2010.   He says the force is proud of their accomplishment. Also being honoured in Thursday's ceremony will be  Daniel Morrison, for his actions as a Ministry of Natural Resources worker when he saved a woman from an attacking bear.

Nipigon Couple Die Of CO Poisoning

The community of Nipigon is in shock today following the death of two of its residents of carbon monoxide poisoning.  OPP say the couple, a 60 year old Yvan Gaujean and  45 year old  Claire Limag-Gaujean were found dead in their First Street home yesterday.   Their 8 year old son was also found, but he survived and is currently being treated in hospital.  The source of the deadly gas has not been determined.

LU Profs Get Award

Three Lakehead University Professors from the School of Nursing are being honoured. They picked up a Teaching Innovation Award for a mask-making project introduced to nursing students in September.

Nolalu Bridge To Be Repaired

The provincial government is putting 1.6 million dollars towards improving the road infrastructure near Nolalu. The construction contract will create 16 new jobs during the work planned for the Whitefish River Bridge. The work is expected to be complete by this fall.

Goldcorp Gives Up

Goldcorp is giving up on its bid for Osisko Mining.  The mining company says it will not raise its offer of 3.6-billion dollars that expires tonight.  Its decision comes on the heels of last week's announcement that Yamana Gold and Angico Eagle Mines are joining forces to acquire Osisko for 3.9-billion, creating a new company called New Osisko.

NOMA Bear Pit Line-Up Confirmed

The Premier and four members of her cabinet are now confirmed for the NOMA conference in Fort Frances.  Transportation Minister Glenn Murray, Municipal Affairs Minister Bill Mauro, Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle and Aboriginal Affairs Minister David Zimmer will answer questions from the region's municipal leaders during Friday's so-called Bearpit session.

Murder Trial On Hold

The Thunder Bay murder trial of 22 year old Sheldon Wabason is on hold for one year.  The trial was to have started in Superior Court today. His lawyer Delmar Doucette says it's because there aren't enough First Nations people represented on the local jury roll.  He calls it an important issue for everyone in the city. Wabason is charged with second degree murder in connection with the March 2011 death of 54 year old Robert Topping. 

New LED Lighting At Tim Hortons

Your morning coffee at Tim Hortons may soon look at little brighter.  The coffee-chain is announcing plans to replace all of the lighting fixtures in its stores across Canada and the U.S. with energy-efficient LED lighting.  Manager of Sustainable Design John Macey says the new lighting will help restaurant owners. Macey says Tim Hortons restaurants in Thunder Bay will receive the new lighting once they renovate.

Shift New President

SHIFT Thunder Bay has a new President.  Peter Marchl has been named the new president of the Young Professionals Network and is taking over from former president Nathan Lawrence.  Marchl previously served as SHIFT's Vice-President.

Forestry Meeting This Week

Foresters, the Provincial Government, and First Nations are meeting in Thunder Bay this week. They're taking part in discussions at the 57th annual Ontario Professional Foresters Association. The conference gets underway at the Prince Arthur Hotel on Wednesday.

OFAH Wants More Info

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters wants the Ministry of Natural Resources to do a more comprehensive study of moose populations in Ontario. The province is giving out fewer hunting tags this season because of population declines.  OFAH's Mark Ryckman says more needs to be done to explore all of the reasons for that decline. Ryckman says if hunting isn't the sole reason, the cut in moose tags isn't going to have much of an impact if other factors continue to go ignored.

Skittish Dog On The Loose

Members of the Paws for Love Dog Rescue are on the lookout for one of their missing animals. Cushion is a skittish dog from Sandy Lake who broke off his leash recently and is now on the loose in the City. He was last seen in the area of Christina and Mary Street East homes in Westfort.  They say he is very terrified of sounds, people and other dogs and if you spot him contact Animal Services.

Northern Raffle Winner

A Dryden woman is the grand prize winner of the Canadian Red Cross' Northern Raffle.  Jean Allan chose 25-thousand dollars rather than a new car because she's going to use the cash to renovate her kitchen. Proceeds from the raffle support programs such as disaster relief efforts, seniors’ transportation and housing support.